Ghost
by cywscross
Summary: The first time Naruto becomes aware of his mysterious guardian, he is twelve and has absolutely no idea just how big an impact their meeting will have on himself and the rest of the world. Time/Dimension Travel, AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Naruto.**

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**Summary:** The first time Naruto becomes aware of his mysterious guardian, he is twelve and has absolutely no idea just how big an impact their meeting will have on himself and the rest of the world. Time/Dimension Travel, AU.

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**Ghost**

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**I.**

The first time Naruto encounters his self-appointed protector is the very same day Team Seven clashes with Zabuza and Haku at the bridge, but really, at that time, it's more 'guarding what Naruto wants' than actually 'guarding Naruto'.

Sasuke, who's a teme on a good day but is also his teammate and sort-of friend, is _deaddeaddead_ and Naruto can feel himself slipping into a mind-consuming rage at the very thought. What feels like only a few seconds later, that same anger and that odd red chakra that must belong to the damn fox retreats and Naruto is suddenly face-to-face with Haku, whom he honestly wanted as a friend after talking with the other boy in the forest last night.

Haku asks Naruto to kill him, and while a part of Naruto wants to do just that – because he _killed_ Sasuke – another part feels sympathetic when he listens to the other boy's reason. But he tries to follow through anyway and is stopped instead, only to watch in horror as Haku throws himself in between Kakashi and Zabuza.

Naruto feels it then – a push from behind by what feels like a gust of wind. He somehow feels like someone has sped him up, as if a jutsu is making him faster, and he doesn't stop to question it. Instead, he throws himself forward and tackles Haku to the ground, and he almost blacks out with relief when Kakashi sees him in time and redirects his Raikiri, scoring a deep gouge in Zabuza's shoulder that misses anything vitally important instead.

It was hours later – after Naruto tears Zabuza a new one for considering Haku as nothing but a weapon, after Zabuza and Haku reach an understanding, after Sasuke turns out to be not-dead after all, after Kakashi finishes scolding him for being so reckless, after _Naruto_ forces everyone to stop trying to kill each other because there really was no point, after Gatou appears with his men, and after Team Seven and the two mercenaries kick their asses – before Naruto could take the time to think back to _that moment_ when something had helped him save Haku.

Of course, maybe whatever it had been, whoever had caused it, had wanted him dead by Kakashi's hand, but at the same time, maybe they had known that his sensei would be able to react in time.

He mentions it to Kakashi, the extra speed his body had suddenly gained at the time, but his sensei assured him that it was simply adrenaline.

Naruto is still doubtful after that so he wanders back outside to the exact place he had been standing in when that odd wind had wrapped around him.

He doesn't see anything though, and soon enough, morning arrives.

(Somewhere in between, he also gets a bridge named after him – and how cool is that? – and Naruto decides that the bridge builder isn't so bad after all.)

After a round of goodbyes, they begin making their way back to Konoha with two mercenaries in tow. Kakashi assures them all that the Sandaime would be willing to give them a home in Konoha if they were willing to live under a few restrictions.

Sasuke and Sakura still look somewhat wary and Zabuza grumbles a bit after hearing this, but Haku stops looking so nervous after Naruto promises to wear the old man down no matter how long it takes.

He soon dismisses that gust of wind and his resulting burst of speed. After all, it could very well have been just adrenaline.

**II.**

The second time something weird happens, a few months after the bridge mission, Naruto _knows_ it isn't adrenaline, if only because adrenaline doesn't take the form of a shinobi with blond hair and blue eyes just like his.

They're in the middle of the Chuunin Exam, in the Forest of Death and facing off against a creepy Grass ninja when said nin tries to put a seal on Naruto. Again, that wind comes, and Naruto recognizes it in a heartbeat as it sweeps past him and snaps the branch he is perched on, making him fall and crash to the ground just as the Grass-nin reaches him.

Naruto is pretty sure no one else felt what he felt because even the enemy only sneers at his apparent good luck and goes for Sakura instead. Luckily, Sakura only gets knocked out because Naruto scrambles to his feet again and releases a barrage of kunai in the Grass-nin's direction.

And then Sasuke melts off half the shinobi's face, only to reveal the creepy snake bastard underneath who calls himself Orochimaru.

It is then that Naruto catches a glimpse of a blur, racing over his head amongst the tree branches, but all Naruto could see – and feel – at that moment was the whirling ball of chakra that sang with power as it plowed straight into an unsuspecting Orochimaru.

A second too late though and Naruto could only watch in helpless disgust as the snake bastard sinks his fangs into Sasuke's neck. His teammate cries out and falls unconscious soon after but Orochimaru is also injured and retreats in a hurry, hissing with pain even as he searches in vain for his attacker who has already disappeared.

But not for long. As soon as Orochimaru has disappeared and Naruto is desperately trying to rouse his teammates, someone lands a few feet away from them, silent as the grave.

For a second, Naruto is sure that this man is here to kill them too because the expression twisting the stranger's foreign-familiar features is frustrated – no, not frustrated, downright _pissed_, but also somewhat satisfied as the shinobi eyes the direction that Orochimaru withdrew in.

Naruto whips out a kunai even though he is fairly certain he has a better chance of waking Sasuke up than landing a single cut on the shinobi, but the man ignores his weapon as he approaches, the displeasure evaporating from his face as his attention focused on Sasuke instead, or, more specifically, on that funny-looking seal Orochimaru has left behind.

"You need to find a place to hide," The man speaks in a low even tenor, and eyes as blue as Naruto's own meets his. "I'll give you a hand."

Naruto doesn't really want this complete stranger – and yet, somehow, the stranger doesn't feel like a stranger – anywhere near his teammates but he needs help and this is most likely the third time that this man has helped him, so he nods hesitantly and threatens to hurt the stranger if he hurts Sasuke or Sakura before he lets the man pick up Sasuke while he handles Sakura.

Fifteen minutes later, they're tucked away in the hollow of a tree and a fire is crackling in front of them as Naruto silently watches the stranger rig traps around the makeshift camp.

The shinobi has bright yellow hair like his, except it was a bit longer and not quite as spiky, though it wasn't exactly tame either. The man has the same blue eyes as well, except they were darker, more guarded and tired. Older. Naruto is sure he's seen it before in the Sandaime's eyes as well. There is no headband anywhere in sight even though the shinobi is decked out in ninja wear, flak jacket and all.

"Who are you? Naruto demands as soon as the man returns to the fire. "Why are you helping us?"

The stranger shrugs as he tosses a pack of rations to Naruto before performing a few hand seals and producing a jet of water from his hands (Naruto kinda wants to learn how to do that but he figures he could always just nag Zabuza until the Mist-nin-turned-mercenary-turned-probationary-Konoha-nin gives in and shows him a water jutsu), dumping the liquid into a bowl. A wet cloth is soon placed on a feverish-looking Sasuke's forehead, and Naruto berates himself for not thinking of that sooner.

"I want to," The man says, ignoring the first question.

"Why?" Naruto persists. "You helped me save Haku a few months back as well, right? And then you saved me today and you tried to save Sasuke."

The stranger looks irritated again, but Naruto is reasonably sure that it isn't because of him.

"Orochimaru is dangerous," The man says instead, evading Naruto's question once more. "He wants Sasuke."

Naruto stiffened, a rush of protective anger filling his chest. "Why?"

"A vessel," The stranger explains, and Naruto is beginning to realize exactly what 'a man of few words' is like. "Sasuke has the Sharingan. Orochimaru wants someone to possess to gain immortality."

Naruto blanches before eyeing the man suspiciously. "How do you know that?"

The man shrugs again. "I just do."

Naruto huffs and crosses his arms. "How do I know you're not working with Orochimaru or something?"

The man just looks at him, one eyebrow raised, and Naruto flushes and feels kinda stupid. Whoever he is, this shinobi _has_ injured Orochimaru quite badly (nobody could fake something like that – the snake bastard was seriously in pain), and he's been helping Naruto since the mission in Wave Country.

"So what do I do about it?" Naruto asks instead, hating how useless he feels. "I mean Sasuke's been- been _bitten_-"

"The Cursed Seal of Heaven," The man only says. "Your sensei will handle it."

Naruto scowls petulantly at this lack of information but presses on after a moment. "Should- Should I tell Kakashi-sensei about you?"

The man lifts an eyebrow again as if to say, 'You're asking me?'

Naruto makes a face at him. "Well, I don't know! I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to have help during the exams and you could get in trouble for it. I mean, are you even a Konoha-nin?"

The man tilts his head in a thoughtful manner before shaking it. "No, not anymore."

"Then you're a missing-nin!" Naruto accuses.

The man considers this too. "No, not quite that either."

Naruto scratches his head in complete confusion but lets it go because listening to the man's cryptic answers is giving him a headache.

Sakura takes this moment to groan, stirring from her slumber, and the stranger gracefully rises to his feet.

"You're leaving already?" Naruto can't help feeling disappointed. "If you don't want anyone finding out about you, I'm sure I can make sure Sakura-chan and even Sasuke-teme don't tell anyone."

But the man shakes his head again. "Tell them, don't tell them – I don't care. No one will be able to find me anyway."

"Wait!" Naruto leapt to his feet as well, feeling strangely anxious. "Will I see you again?"

The man smiles at this – the first smile Naruto had seen – and while it's small and almost unnoticeable, it is also familiar in a way Naruto couldn't understand.

Sakura shifts, and Naruto glances at her over his shoulder for a second. When he turns back, the stranger is gone.

The rest of the second test passes without too much trouble. There are a few minutes during their fight against an enemy team from Sound that worries Naruto because he is occupied with two of the enemy-nins while Sakura is struggling with the third and he can't go save her. He is damn impressed though when his teammate cuts off her hair and manages to get one up on the bitch, but then Fuzzy-Brows rushes in, as well as Shikamaru's team, and somehow or other, Sasuke is suddenly on his feet and half-mental with the Cursed Seal spreading over his skin.

Naruto can admit, at least in the privacy of his own mind, that the cold, merciless look in Sasuke's eyes sort of scares the shit out of him, but Sakura somehow manages to calm him down and the Sound Genin limp off, defeated, leaving Naruto's team with their first scroll.

The second scroll comes by easily enough and Naruto thinks he catches another fleeting look of the blond shinobi when Kabuto comes to help them, but the man doesn't come out and Naruto is too elated with Team Seven's success to think much of it.

However, in the end, he doesn't say anything to Kakashi or his teammates about the stranger. He drops a word to Kakashi about the Cursed Seal of Heaven and how Orochimaru wants to possess Sasuke for immortality, vaguely implying that the snake bastard had been the one boasting about it, but doesn't say more than that.

Kakashi looks almost shocked but only nods grimly and tells them that they did a good job before escorting Sasuke away. For once, Naruto doesn't really mind that their sensei always seems to pay more attention to Sasuke – especially since this time, he has good reason to – and he ignores the way Sakura frets loudly about the Uchiha.

Instead, Naruto thinks of the blond-haired, blue-eyed man – he looks to be in his mid- to late- twenties, maybe early thirties at the most – who, if Naruto is honest (and he's staring at his own face in a bathroom mirror right now), could probably pass as his-

He doesn't allow himself to continue that thought. He's used to having no family and depending on himself. For all that he cares about Team Seven, they're not family, not yet (maybe one day), and it's better – safer – not to think about things like that, especially when he doesn't even know the man's name.

So Naruto returns to where the other Genin are and cheers both Sasuke and Sakura on as they fight. He's a bit disappointed when he doesn't get any cheers of his own but his teammates aren't ones to do that sort of thing anyway – he's the passionate one – so he contents himself with kicking Kiba's ass.

He's more than a little heated when Neji almost kills Hinata and he really wants to beat Gaara up for injuring Lee so badly, but Kakashi holds him back and he can only fume as the second stage of the Chuunin Exam comes to a close.

**III.**

The third time Naruto meets the mysterious shinobi who isn't a Konoha-nin but could seemingly come and go from the village as he pleases – a part of him said he should probably report this but Naruto's never been a snitch and the man hasn't done anything but help yet – is right after Kakashi foists him off on Ebisu.

Naruto is pissed off and hurt but agrees anyway because he doesn't want someone who obviously doesn't think he's worth the effort to train him. Ebisu challenges him to run away and promises his resignation as Naruto's tutor if he escapes.

Naruto almost snorts at this. He has been leaving ANBU in his dust since he was eight years old – this guy doesn't stand a chance.

Dutifully, he flicks out dozens of Kage Bunshin before scampering off himself. Ebisu dispatches the clones easily enough but Naruto knows Konoha better than the back of his own hand, and by weaving through back alleys and underground in the sewers and circling into the Red-Light District before doubling back and coming out near his run-down apartment. He also carefully conceals his chakra to the best of his ability – Kakashi was good for something after all.

He waits for a few minutes, just in case Ebisu is more competent than Naruto gives him credit for when it comes to tracking people, but – surprise, surprise – the man doesn't appear.

He really does snort derisively this time and would've stormed off back to where Kakashi had last been and try to hunt him down to demand a better teacher if he hadn't caught sight of a familiar blond leaning against his apartment door.

Naruto grins and brightens before he realizes it and bounds up the steps to meet the not-stranger.

"Hi!" He greets enthusiastically because here is someone who doesn't let anyone besides Naruto see him, so he's _Naruto's_ secret.

The man looks faintly amused and nods back in reply. "Back early?"

Naruto grimaces and hops up onto the banister of the balcony. He mostly forgets that this man had punched a hole in Orochimaru's side without breaking a sweat and could still be an enemy. The man just doesn't _feel_ like an enemy, not to Naruto. "Kakashi-sensei is an ass and handed me over to some idiot for training."

The man frowns and looks a bit puzzled so Naruto clarifies, "The idiot Kakashi-sensei stuck me with told me to run away and that he'd resign as my sensei if I could get away from him. I did, so I guess he's not my sensei anymore, which, come to think of it, actually leaves me with _no_ sensei."

He scowls moodily at his door. Now what was he gonna do?

"How?" The man asks, and when Naruto just blinks at him, he expands, "How did you escape?"

Naruto puffs up proudly. "I sent some clones out as a distraction before taking the back alleys and sewers to get away."

The man blinks and then mutters something that sounds like "why didn't I think of that" under his breath but Naruto doesn't have time to question it before the blond sniffs and says almost teasingly, "Is that why you stink?"

Naruto turns red and protests loudly but the man just chuckles and suggests he take a bath first. Naruto huffs but does as he is told, secretly enjoying the easy banter between them. He lets the man into his apartment without too much dithering – if the shinobi wants to hurt him, he would've done it in the Forest of Death where no one would be any the wiser.

By the time he finishes his shower, Naruto's nose picks up the smell of ramen and he ducks into his tiny kitchen to find five cups of ramen on the counter. The man is already digging into one while the other four are clearly placed in front of Naruto's seat, and there are coins on the table, enough to cover all five cups.

"You can have it for free," Naruto tells him as he eagerly digs into his own cup. "And you can have more than one."

The man just shakes his head and doesn't make any move to retrieve the money. When Naruto stubbornly pushes the money back, the shinobi arches an eyebrow before compromising by taking back half of the money. The steely glint in his eyes told Naruto that that would be the only leeway he would give.

Naruto pouts but concedes and they finish the meal in record time.

"Are you leaving again?" Naruto asks, disappointed once more when the man heads for the door.

The shinobi inclines his head but tells him, "Go to the Hot Spring Town. You'll find a man with white hair sitting on a giant toad there, most likely peeking at the ladies. Impress him – he'll make you strong."

Naruto's jaw hangs open for a moment at this unexpected piece of advice before he dashes after the blond. "Wait! Wait! Can I at least know who you are?"

The man pauses on the balcony and glances back at him. A wry smile tilts his lips.

"You can call me Yuurei."

Naruto blinks once and the man is gone.

Yuurei. Ghost.

Well, with the way the man comes and goes without a sound, Naruto thinks the name suits him, even if it is a bit on the eerie side.

**IV.**

Naruto doesn't tell the white-haired shinobi that someone had told him to find the man, though to be fair, the white-haired man doesn't ask since Naruto is careful to make no mention of Yuurei. The pervert, true to Yuurei's words, is too enthralled with peeking into the women's hot springs to really question Naruto anyway.

Ebisu makes an appearance just as Naruto evilly hollers for the world to hear that there is a pervert spying on the ladies, and he enjoys the beating that the white-haired man gets. Serves the bastard right for ignoring Naruto.

Ebisu looks torn between impressed and embarrassed when he hurries up but his soon-to-be sensei – Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, apparently – knocks Ebisu flat on his back, and before Naruto knows it, Jiraiya has whisked him off for training once Naruto shows the pervert his Harem no Jutsu.

And throughout the month, Naruto sees Yuurei several more times. The man only appears when Naruto is at home and he never stays for long, though Naruto has managed to wheedle the shinobi into sticking around for a few hours.

Naturally, Naruto is delighted when Yuurei agrees to help him with his training as well. Yuurei polishes up his aim until Naruto can hit a moving target without pause. He teaches Naruto how to break low- to medium-levelled genjutsus, and, best of all, he shows Naruto two different ninjutsus.

The first is a wind type: Fuuton: Kamikaze, and, after seeing the awesome damage that Yuurei manages to wreak in the forest clearing that they practice in, Naruto wastes no time throwing every spare minute he has into perfecting the jutsu.

The second is an earth type: Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu. This too, Naruto works at with a determined fervour. Being able to hide in the ground sounds like a great tactic when dodging enemies, and it comes easily enough to him since it's only a C-rank jutsu.

Yuurei also tells him, quite helpfully, that his shadow clones can relate all their experiences back to Naruto, which frankly saves him a lot of time. He doesn't know why Kakashi never mentioned this before.

But what Naruto likes the most is the fact that Yuurei is _his_. His secret, his guard, his teacher, and no one else's.

Ero-sennin is an alright sensei – he teaches Naruto how to walk on water and channel the demon fox's energy and use the Summoning Jutsu – but the man is infuriating on the best of days, and every single training session is preceded by at least an hour of pestering and pleading on Naruto's part for Jiraiya to stop his damn 'research' and get with the program.

On the other hand, Yuurei never wastes a second when he comes to call, quietly efficient as he spars with Naruto and makes him stronger. Some days, Naruto wishes he could just ask Yuurei to become his full-time sensei but he's never seen the man out and about the village, and while Yuurei has never said it and even claims he doesn't mind, Naruto suspects that he might cause problems for the older blond if he starts blabbing about Yuurei's presence to other people.

And while he knows next to nothing about the man (Yuurei probably isn't even his real name),

Naruto, for some unknown reason (besides the fact that Yuurei is training him; Naruto isn't stupid enough to get bribed into a false sense of safety), _trusts_ him.

It's a strange feeling. Sometimes, when Naruto considers it right before he falls asleep, his chest warms at the very thought of his new mentor and almost-friend.

**V.**

The finals come all too soon, and while Naruto has mastered everything Ero-sennin has taught him and he's gotten the Earth Jutsu Yuurei showed him down to an art, the Wind Jutsu is still giving him trouble. The strength behind the technique is barely a third of what Yuurei can manage but the man assures him that, for a month of practice, Naruto is doing very well.

Jiraiya is nowhere in sight the day the third stage of the Chuunin Exam starts but Naruto is okay with that because Yuurei is there to see him off with a rare smile and a "good luck, I'll be watching".

Naruto grins and waves before heading for the stadium with a bounce in his step. He doesn't know how Yuurei is going to watch his match with all the other spectators in broad daylight but his mentor isn't one to say things he doesn't mean.

As he makes his way over to the other Konoha Genin, Naruto notices the tension in some of the Jounin's faces. He would've missed it if Yuurei hadn't been honing his observation skills as well. As it is, he can tell that the older Konoha-nins are all uneasy, but uneasy about what, Naruto doesn't know.

He also finds a new proctor – Shiranui Genma – in the stadium because, apparently, the one before – Gekkou Hayate – had been injured on some sort of mission in the past month and is currently hospitalized.

Or so the rumours say.

He greets Zabuza and Haku who has also shown up to watch the matches. Zabuza grunts in his general direction – which is as polite as the man got – but Haku smiles brightly back at him and they strike up a conversation as they wait for the examination to start.

Sasuke hasn't arrived yet but Naruto figures that since the teme is training under Kakashi, it is a foregone conclusion that both of them are going to be late.

Naruto is up first and he grins viciously when it is announced that Neji will be his opponent. The stuck-up bastard preaches about fate and failures fated to be failures, which only makes Naruto want to kick his ass even more.

The Hyuuga's good, he can admit that, but Naruto hasn't trained his butt off for a month just to fail here. He throws a few dozen shadow clones at Neji and gets himself pummeled a bit before regaining his footing and increasing his own speed to dodge the blows. Neji has nothing on Yuurei when it comes to the strength of his punches.

Naruto feels for the older boy when Neji shows him the Caged Bird Seal but he doesn't let up as he fights to win. Fate isn't set in stone, after all. If it is, he'd still be back at the Academy.

His Kamikaze jutsu still isn't very strong but he only needs it to buy some time, so, to the audience's general astonishment, he whips up three small tornadoes and hurls them at Neji. As expected, his opponent barrels through the attack with little difficulty before lunging for Naruto. Naruto has already replaced himself with a clone though, and he swiftly slips away underground with the Hidden Mole Jutsu.

He pops up again the moment Neji drops his guard and finishes the other boy off with an uppercut in his blind spot that promptly knocks the Hyuuga out.

And he hasn't even needed to use the damn fox's chakra. He has won all on his own merit.

Sasuke is seriously late though and Naruto is both grateful and resentful that the Sandaime decides to postpone the match. Had it been anyone else, they would have been disqualified.

When Sasuke finally does arrive with Kakashi and his teammate's match is well under way, the entire stadium descends into chaos.

Kabuto places a sleep-inducing genjutsu on them that Naruto automatically deflects, relieved that Sakura is able to do the same. It seems, however, that this insane invasion of the village courtesy of Otogakure and Sunagakure does not completely take everyone off guard and Naruto finally realizes just why the Jounin have all been so wired.

The retaliation of the older shinobi is fast and coordinated and leaves the invading nins staggered. Naruto wants to pull his own weight though and Kakashi soon orders him and Sakura, along with Pakkun, to grab Shikamaru and go after Sasuke.

The next few hours happen in bits and pieces that Naruto can barely recall in its entirety later on. He remembers battling Gaara, and Sasuke using his Cursed Seal (the _idiot_), and Sakura almost getting crushed to death, though not quite in that order.

He wins though, and then blacks out for a bit after scolding Gaara. When he wakes up shortly after, he finds his injuries mostly healed (no surprise there), and Gaara's as well, but it comes as something of a surprise when he finds both Sasuke and Sakura on the mend too.

His surprise fades when he feels just the faintest hint of Yuurei's chakra in the air and catches a glimpse of bright yellow hair between the foliage above.

By the time they all reach Konoha again, Naruto rushes to the hospital when he hears that the Sandaime is injured. He sneaks in through the vents mostly unnoticed and eavesdrops on the handfuls of shinobi gossiping about the recent events.

_ Did you hear? Gekkou-san's the only reason we were prepared for the invasion. He overheard a conversation between a spy and a Suna-nin,_ one Jounin murmurs.

_Did _you_ hear?_ Another shoots back. _Someone cut in at the last minute just before Gekkou-san was struck down by that Suna-nin. He'd be dead if it hadn't been for the intervention. And then the same person dumped them both at the hospital. Gekkou-san didn't see who saved him but that was how he could warn the Hokage._

_Inoichi-sama wiped the Suna-nin's memories of that encounter before sending him back out,_ a third Jounin revealed eagerly. _Orochimaru would've known we were preparing a counterattack otherwise._

_I hear that same someone who helped Gekkou-san placed a seal on Orochimaru and managed to shut away his Impure World Reincarnation technique_, the first ninja speaks up again in hushed tones.

_There's no way the Sandaime would have survived if it hadn't been for that seal_, the second remarks.

_Why doesn't whoever did it show themselves?_ The third enquires. _They'll be rewarded, no doubt about that._

That is enough for Naruto and he creeps back out and starts helping with the cleanup even as he remembers the Forest of Death and Yuurei attacking Orochimaru with that ball of chakra. His mentor must have planted the seal back then.

But how? Had Yuurei already heard of the snake bastard's reincarnation jutsu and decided to seal it just in case?

Naruto sprints home the moment one of the older ninjas dismisses him and tells him to go get some rest. He bursts into his apartment and throws every lock he has before tackling Yuurei, who is already sitting on his old couch, with a hug.

Naruto doesn't ask any questions because he knows Yuurei doesn't like answering them but he doesn't like lying either, so he only thanks the man profusely for saving jiji.

Yuurei rubs the back of his head, looking mildly embarrassed, before ordering Naruto off to take a shower. Naruto obeys and comes back out to fried rice and egg with ketchup on top and Yuurei stays for _three_ hours before tucking Naruto into bed, and Naruto thinks that, despite the whole invasion thing, it's one of the best days of his life.

**VI.**

Three days later, Naruto is summoned to the Hokage's office where the Sandaime is sitting behind his desk once more. The old man looks a bit pale and has bandages wrapped around one hand and probably in a lot of other places under his clothes but Naruto knows he could be looking a lot worse.

To his stunned amazement, Naruto, along with Shikamaru, are both promoted to Chuunin without delay. The old man smiles briefly at him, fond and proud, and Naruto's heart swells.

He and Shikamaru leave together and he's only a little bit jealous when he spots Shikamaru's team waiting for the lazy teen.

Shikamaru's always been too perceptive for his own good, in Naruto's opinion, because his Academy friend studies him for a moment and then scans the waiting room before sighing, "You can come celebrate with us.

"Don't complain," He adds when Naruto opens his mouth to object because he thinks team celebrations are important and outsiders really shouldn't butt in. "It's too troublesome to listen to. You're coming."

And that was that. Ino sniffs at him but she's nowhere near as cold as she used to be when they were at the Academy. Chouji just grins good-naturedly at him and Asuma welcomes him with a genial smile.

So Naruto goes, and he finds himself having fun as he and Chouji empties Asuma's wallet and Ino struggles with her diet even as they convince her to eat more and Asuma laments about being broke and Shikamaru tells them that they're all troublesome beyond words.

By the end of the day, after he says goodbye to Team Ten, Naruto wishes, just a bit wistfully, that Team Seven could be a little like that too.

But he forgets about it soon enough because Yuurei is waiting for him at his apartment and the man has already gotten wind of Naruto's promotion somehow and there's freakin' _confetti_ everywhere, as well as a present wrapped in orange paper sitting on the coffee table.

Naruto gapes and then dissolves into gales of laughter because _Yuurei_ is covered with confetti as well. The man had probably tried to decorate the place and had failed big time, but the funniest part is the fact that he's never seen his mentor looking as disgruntled and embarrassed as he is now.

Naruto gets whacked upside the head for it but nothing can dampen his mood, especially after he carefully unwraps his present and finds a brand-new pair of chakra blades. The blade is smooth but wickedly curved like a mini-scythe, and they are worn like brass knuckles, which fits his hand-to-hand close combat style. Naruto has absolutely no idea how to go about using them but they instantly become his favourite weapons.

"I'll start teaching you how to use them when you come back," Yuurei promises.

Naruto sets the weapons down on his bedside table before he goes to bed and doesn't know what Yuurei means when he says 'when you come back' until Jiraiya comes around the very next day and says they have an important mission to go on.

Sometimes, Naruto wonders if Yuurei can tell the future.

**VII.**

Naruto doesn't see Yuurei again for several weeks. The Sandaime, though still very much alive, is announcing his retirement and promptly sends Jiraiya, along with Naruto, to go fetch some old bag named Tsunade.

It is ridiculous how much Naruto misses Yuurei's presence, and he even worries that the man might not visit him anymore when he returns to Konoha. Jiraiya picks up Naruto's gloomy demeanour and, most likely thinking he is homesick or something equally stupid, actually attempts to cheer him up by offering to teach him the Rasengan.

It doesn't take long for Naruto to realize that the Rasengan looks exactly like the jutsu Yuurei had hit Orochimaru with all those weeks ago in the Forest of Death. He keeps his mouth shut about it though and works like a demon to perfect the jutsu. The new Hokage is on the line, not to mention he couldn't wait to go home and test the attack against Yuurei's Rasengan.

In the meantime though, Jiraiya also casually asks where he learned the wind and earth jutsus that Naruto used during the Chuunin Exam. Naruto replies, just as casually, that he has been reading up on various scrolls in the library archives ever since the end of the exam's second stage. It's not entirely a lie – he _has_ been reading various scrolls but they're usually brought to him by Yuurei.

Jiraiya hums and says nothing more, but Naruto can't tell whether his half-truth has been believed.

A few days after that, Orochimaru appears _again_ – honestly, doesn't the bastard have anything better to do? – along with Kabuto but Naruto doesn't hesitate to give as good as he got and thrusts a perfect Rasengan straight into the traitorous medic-nin's stomach.

Naruto is too injured to continue fighting after that but Tsunade starts the healing process before hopping off to fight and he's perfectly content to watch as the Sannin have a freaky showdown with their Summons.

Orochimaru seems intent on reaching Naruto though, and the Snake Sannin even snarls at Naruto and demands to know 'who attacked him in the Forest'. Naruto doesn't say a word, and he thanks the Kami that Tsunade and Jiraiya are both too occupied with Manda to hear Orochimaru.

It doesn't take too long after that to defeat Orochimaru, or at least make the snake bastard retreat with his creepy lackey, and the four of them are soon hitting the road again.

Jiraiya laughs when Shizune enquires as to why Naruto seems so desperate for them to pick up their pace and the pervert tells them that Naruto is simply homesick and that he was sulking for most of the way when they left Konoha too.

Naruto denies this noisily and gets into a fight with both Tsunade and Jiraiya but he lets them think what they want in the end without too much fuss – after all, being homesick implies missing something at home, and Naruto can't say that's entirely untrue.

**VIII.**

True to his word, Yuurei immediately starts training Naruto with his new chakra blades, along with several new jutsus. It's hard going, especially when Naruto also has to learn how to channel normal chakra into them and not just how to fight with them.

"One day," Yuurei tells him during one of their water breaks. "You'll learn how to infuse wind-natured chakra into them."

"Can't I do that now?" Naruto asks because wind-natured chakra sounds infinitely cooler than just your average chakra.

Yuurei quirks a half-smile. "You've still got a long way to go before that happens, kid."

Naruto huffs. "I am not a kid. I'm Chuunin now!"

Yuurei laughs and Naruto is always pleased to hear that because his mentor rarely ever laughs. "You're hotheaded and reckless and still a midget, not to mention you're also twelve. You're still a kid."

Naruto sticks his tongue out at Yuurei before jumping to his feet. "Match your Rasengan against mine again! I've been practicing!"

Yuurei sighs but gets to his feet as well. The privacy wards Naruto's mentor has set up prevent other people from sensing the explosions of chakra and Naruto can fight as crazily as he wants without having to worry about drawing attention.

**IX.**

Naruto is rushing at Sasuke with a Rasengan and Sasuke is hurtling towards him with a Chidori. Sakura is screaming at them from the side to stop but Naruto can't stop because he can see the desperation in Sasuke's eyes behind the anger and resentment. It will hurt Sasuke more if he stops, not to mention he'll most likely get killed if he pulls back now.

And then Kakashi is there and he deflects both their attacks into different water towers before ushering Sasuke away for a private talk. Naruto scowls after them before turning to comfort Sakura who is still white in the face.

Later, when he is eating dinner with Yuurei, he grumbles, "Kakashi-sensei always favours Sasuke. What's so good about him anyway? _I'm_ the one who made Chuunin. And we're a four-man team. Why does Kakashi-sensei spend so much time with Sasuke-teme?"

A long silence ensues and just when Naruto is sure that Yuurei won't answer this question either, his mentor remarks quietly, "He is afraid."

Naruto blinks. "Who? Kakashi-sensei? Why?"

Yuurei inclines his head and takes a sip of tea. "Let me ask you a question: what does Sasuke want most right now?"

Naruto opens his mouth to say 'grow stronger', but that's not quite right because Naruto wants to grow stronger too, except he wants to grow stronger _because_ he wants to become Hokage and gain enough strength to protect the people he cares about.

And he probably knows Sasuke better than most – it's always been like that – so Naruto thinks and suspects that his teammate wants to grow stronger because he wants-

"Revenge," He says out loud, recalling their first day as Team Seven even the word sends a shiver down his spine. "He wants revenge. He wants to kill his brother."

Yuurei nods gravely. "There's a saying: before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."

Naruto feels cold.

"Kakashi is afraid," Yuurei continues in an almost hypnotic murmur. "Afraid of what Sasuke could become, afraid of what he would be willing to do, willing to _trade_, all to achieve the power he needs for his revenge."

Yuurei taps the side of his neck, right where Sasuke's Cursed Seal would be. "Orochimaru has given him a taste of power, no matter how corrupt it is. And Sasuke... well, Sasuke just might take him up on that offer. Your sensei can see that, so he tries his best to steer Sasuke back onto the straight and narrow, so to speak."

His mentor smiles rather sardonically. "He doesn't pay as much attention to you two because Sasuke is the problem child. Sakura is far too weak at the moment to cause much harm to anyone, not to mention that she does have a good heart. And you, Naruto, you have your beliefs and you stand by them no matter what. Your moral fibre is stronger than Sasuke's could ever be. Sasuke's the one who has both the potential and the qualities to stray, and Kakashi is afraid of that. It isn't right – not by a long shot – and I'm not trying to make up excuses for him but Kakashi really is doing the best he can."

Naruto swallows hard. "But- But Sasuke wouldn't-"

He stops because he remembers the look in his teammate's eyes and _knows_ that Sasuke would.

"I'll stop him then!" Naruto declares resolutely, thumping a fist against the table for emphasis. "If he tries to go to Orochimaru for power, I'll kick his ass and drag him back to the village!"

It would be a while yet before Naruto would understand why Yuurei looks so very sad at that moment.

**X.**

"WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP HIM?!" Naruto rages the moment he is released from the hospital and is back in his apartment. "YOU KNEW, DIDN'T YOU?! YOU KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN! YOU KNEW SASUKE WOULD LEAVE!"

Yuurei only sits calmly at the table, waiting patiently for Naruto's anger to run its course. Naruto hates it.

Sasuke had left in the middle of the night and Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba, Chouji, and Neji had all set out after him, only to be met with the Sound Four.

Naruto had gone on ahead, leaving his teammates to handle the Sound-nins, but he was stopped by Kimimaro until Lee, Haku, and even Zabuza had caught up and told him to hurry on.

Naruto had, and then he had clashed with Sasuke at the Valley of the End, Rasengan against Chidori, the Kyuubi against the Cursed Seal.

In the end, he had realized he could never outright kill or even critically injure Sasuke but, apparently, Sasuke could. His teammate's Chidori would've plowed straight through his stomach if familiar wind chakra hadn't cut in at that exact moment, wrapping around his body and shielding him from the worst of the damage.

Naruto had managed to scratch Sasuke's headband though, and right before he had blacked out, all he could see was the resentment in Sasuke's eyes. The moron had probably mistaken the wind chakra for Naruto's.

And then he had woken up in the hospital with all his teammates badly wounded and Sasuke gone.

And all he had been able to think of was that Yuurei had known.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Naruto finishes in a half-angry, half-desolate growl.

"And what would you have me do?" Yuurei asks evenly. "Drag him back to the village? And then what? Wait until the next time he makes a run for it and then drag him back again? And how many times am I suppose to do this before the Council calls for his execution? The only reason they haven't stuck a bounty on his head yet is because he's one of the few Uchihas left, the last one that they think might still have a chance of coming back to the village."

"You could've brought him back!" Naruto insisted, ignoring the logic in his mentor's words. "And then Sakura-chan and I could've talked to him! Talked him out of going to Orochimaru!"

"You are too naive!" Yuurei barks, and Naruto flinches because this is the first time his mentor has ever raised his voice. "Words will get you nowhere. At the moment, Sasuke considers you his rival, but other than yourself, there is no one else who can match him in terms of strength, and Sasuke, as arrogant as he can be, believes this. He doesn't think he can find enough power by staying with Konoha, so he left, and no amount of talking or begging or arguing is going to make him see otherwise.

"What you need to do right now," Yuurei leans forward, his blue gaze as hard as steel. "Is grow stronger. You fought Sasuke, and while I blocked most of the Chidori, you still fainted, and Sasuke considers that his win. So you need to grow stronger, and not just you either – every single one of your peers have to grow stronger if you want to get him back, and then you have to work together to bring him back to the village. Actions speak louder than words. _Show_ him that being a part of Konoha can give him all the strength he'll ever need."

Naruto knows that his mentor is right but he's still in no mood to really listen, to understand and accept, so he storms away to his room and makes sure to slam his bedroom door, even if it does make him feel like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

He throws himself onto his bed and burrows underneath his blankets. He just wants to forget the shitstorm that Team Seven has become in the past twenty-four hours.

**XI.**

Naruto doesn't see Yuurei for several months after that, and as each day passes, he becomes a little more worried that his mentor isn't coming back. Ever since his first A-class mission in Wave – which seemed like an eternity ago – Yuurei's only stayed away for a few weeks at the most, and that was when Naruto had gone to retrieve Tsunade with Jiraiya.

He has other things to keep him occupied though, such as a mission to Otogakure in the hopes of finding Sasuke, as well as another collision with Mizuki, as well as several other missions all across the continent.

He also hears the news and rumours of labs turning up all over the place, piles of scrap metal burnt to the ground, and all of them with proof of Orochimaru's work.

And then Jiraiya suggests a two-and-a-half-year training trip on the road, and while Naruto readily jumps on the offer, he also begs the Toad Sage to give him a week before they departed. Jiraiya looks somewhat confused but agrees easily enough and heads back to the Bathing House to do more of his research.

Meanwhile, Naruto spends half his time at home and the other half either running around town in the hopes of bumping into his mentor or in their training area, honing his skills with his chakra blades. It's been four months, almost five, and he isn't just worried anymore – he's afraid.

What if he has upset Yuurei so much that the man no longer wanted anything to do with him? What if he never sees Yuurei again and the last thing Naruto says to the man had been out of reckless anger?

"I'm sorry," He says to the air in his apartment on the last day before he is to leave with Jiraiya. "You were right, of course. I was just mad."

Obviously, there's no reply, and it's with a heavy heart that Naruto starts packing his bag before going to bed.

He doesn't remember falling asleep but he wakes with a jerk when his nose picks up the scent of blood and the familiar presence in his apartment.

He trips out of bed in a tangle of sheets and barrels out of his room and into the bathroom where the coppery tang is strongest.

And there is Yuurei, wrapping a bloody gash on his arm in gauze and looking as if he has never left, and before Naruto can stop himself, he lunges forward and wraps his arms around his startled mentor's waist.

Twenty minutes later, Naruto is still sniffling a bit and Yuurei is apologizing for worrying – _not_ scaring, damn it – him.

"I was investigating some things," Yuurei tells him as he flexes his injured limb. "Took me longer than I thought it would."

"You got hurt!" Naruto accuses. "You're too strong to get hurt!"

Yuurei chuckles. "I was careless. Ran into an ambush on my way out of one of Orochimaru's labs."

Naruto's eyes widened. "You're the one destroying that snake bastard's labs!"

Yuurei's features take on a distinctly satisfied edge. "Word's reached Konoha then? Have you heard anything else about that? If anyone's going to do anything about it?"

Naruto shakes his head. "I heard from Ero-sennin – he says baa-chan isn't gonna interfere since you- well, _someone_ out there is doing them a favour. She might send people to investigate and maybe even try to get in touch with you to find your allegiance sooner or later though."

Yuurei nods thoughtfully before his gaze sharpens. "You know, I don't think I've ever given you a concrete reason for you to trust me, and since I'm technically not part of Konoha, you're actually committing treason by giving me information."

Naruto gives this the look it deserves and scoffs loudly. "Doesn't matter; I trust you. You've done nothing but help ever since you appeared. Besides, what I just told you is pretty much common knowledge in the village. If you didn't hear it from me, you'd have heard it from someone else."

Yuurei arches an eyebrow. "I could be out to destroy Konoha by getting close to you."

Naruto eyes his mentor closely, arms crossed.

"I don't think you would do that," He says slowly. "You train me seriously when you don't have to. You could just teach me low-level jutsus, but you don't. And you didn't have to buy me those chakra blades. And you didn't have to save Haku. And you didn't have to heal Sasuke and Sakura-chan after Gaara beat them up. And you didn't have to save that examiner guy or jiji for that matter. And-"

"Alright, alright, I get it," Yuurei looks amused. "I came back to see you off. You're starting that training trip with Ero-sennin today, right?"

Naruto brightens and grins widely, partly because Yuurei is the only other person who calls Jiraiya by that nickname, before scampering off to grab his bag. He downs five cups of ramen, all the while chattering on about all the missions he has gone on during Yuurei's absence.

"Will you..." Naruto scratched his head awkwardly. "Will you be following us? Or am I not going to see you for two-and-a-half years?"

"Oh, you'll see me," Yuurei assures, leaning against the doorframe as Naruto puts on his sandals. "Not when Ero-sennin's around but I'll drop by once in a while to check how you're doing. Remember the katas I showed you and keep working on your jutsus. Nag Jiraiya into sparring with you when you're using your chakra blades."

Naruto nods happily but pauses on the steps of the apartment complex. "Yuurei-san?"

Yuurei cocked his head. "Hm?"

"Why me?" Naruto blurts out before he can lose his nerve. This is the one question he has always wanted to ask, ever since Yuurei has become a permanent fixture in his life. "Why did you choose me to stick with and train?"

Yuurei stares at him for a long moment, and Naruto spares this time to, once again, take in the sunshine hair and ocean eyes, so like his own in every way. A little too young to be his father – not to mention Naruto has his own suspicions about that; hard not to every time he caught sight of the Hokage Monument – so maybe his uncle? Cousin? Too old to be his brother.

"Because I can see your potential," Yuurei finally says, and some part of Naruto is disappointed. "Because I know how strong you can get with the proper training. Because I respect your dreams and your ideals."

Naruto frowns a bit, pleased despite himself. "Those are the only reasons?"

Yuurei waves a hand in the air. "There are two more reasons. One day, I'll tell you."

Yuurei has never gone back on his word so Naruto nods in acquiescence. "I'll hold you to that."

**XII.**

Naruto has a lot of fun in those two-and-a-half years on the road. He sees new places and new people and learns new jutsus from Jiraiya during most days and Yuurei on occasional nights.

Ero-sennin is surprised when Naruto asks for a spar and brandishes his chakra blades, but interest sparks in the man's eyes and he agrees. Naruto is very smug when he manages to shock Jiraiya even further by channelling chakra into the weapons.

He's not so smug when, a few nights later, Jiraiya is, astoundingly enough, _not_ sleeping in some woman's bed and is instead getting ready for bed in the second cot in their room.

Naturally, Naruto is instantly suspicious.

"So," Jiraiya begins just as Naruto is clambering into his bed. "You're pretty good with those chakra blades of yours. Where'd you get them?"

Naruto has already thought of this, and he has even double-checked with Yuurei just in case. His mentor has told him that he had henged into a nondescript shinobi before entering the store. "Custom-made at Tenten's father's shop. Why?"

Jiraiya shrugs nonchalantly. "Just curious. Where'd you learn how to use them?"

This is something Naruto has prepared as well. Call him paranoid but he doesn't want Yuurei to get into any trouble, especially on his account. "I learned by myself, but I've seen Asuma-sensei train with his own chakra blades as well, so I sorta tried to copy him a bit."

Jiraiya is silent for a long minute, and Naruto can't help fidgeting but he hides it by pretending to arrange his blankets and pillow. When the silence stretches beyond unnerving, Naruto is forced to look up.

He has to fight to retain a wide-eyed, mildly confused but innocent look on his face when he finds himself pinned with intent dark grey eyes. He thinks he finally understands just why Jiraiya is known as one of the three Sannin.

"You know you can trust me, right Naruto?" The white-haired man asks. It is the most serious Naruto has ever seen him.

Naruto pulls a Yuurei and arches an eyebrow even as he conceals how nervous he is and maybe even a little guilty. "Where's this coming from, Ero-sennin?"

Naruto catches a flash of disappointment in Jiraiya's eyes before the Sannin heaves a sigh and waves a dismissive hand. The easygoing pervert persona is back. "Nevermind. Go to sleep, brat. We've got a long day tomorrow."

Naruto rolls over to face the wall but he doesn't sleep much that night.

**XIII.**

"Do you think it would be okay to tell Ero-sennin about you?" Naruto asks two weeks later when Yuurei drops by for a visit. They're sitting on the roof of the hotel he and Jiraiya are staying in at the moment, though the damn pervert's gone off to woo another bimbo at the nearby bar again.

Yuurei glances down at him as he absently traces chakra seals in the air and Naruto attempts to copy it. "Do you want to?"

Naruto wavers and then nods. "Yeah, I kinda do. I mean, he's an incurable pervert. Short of hooking up with baa-chan, there's no way he's ever gonna stop, but he's still my sensei and he's the only one – besides you – who's ever taken an interest in me and really trains me."

Yuurei nods but doesn't say anything.

Naruto presses on because Yuurei hasn't said no, but he hasn't said yes either. "And he got this really serious look on his face the other night – it was almost creepy. Anyway, he asked me if I knew I could trust him. Talk about a guilt trip."

Yuurei hums noncommittally. "Well, I have said from the very beginning that you could tell anyone about me."

"Because you don't get caught?" Even now, Naruto still wonders how Yuurei manages to sneak in and out of the village without anyone the wiser – the guards on duty must seriously suck. Even he hasn't found a way yet.

"That's right," Yuurei confirms with an odd smile. "I never get caught."

"I'll tell him about you first," Naruto offers. "It's not like you have to meet him or anything. Although I suppose he'll be worried about Konoha's security once he realizes you can get in like a..."

He pauses but Yuurei finishes for him with an ironic expression. "Ghost?"

Naruto grins sheepishly. "Yeah. ...Is Yuurei even your real name?"

"A real name is one you acknowledge as your own," Yuurei counters serenely. "But it isn't the name my parents gave me, no."

Naruto pouts. "Will you ever _tell_ me that name then?"

"Maybe," Yuurei shrugs before glancing up at the moon hanging in the night sky. "You know, Jiraiya has his own secrets concerning you."

Naruto's eyes narrow. "Really?"

Yuurei nods. "Oh yeah. He knows exactly who you are. He even knew your parents."

Naruto stiffened. "My parents? Do _you_ know my parents?"

Yuurei makes an affirmative sound at the back of his throat. "Though maybe it's better if you get that pervert to tell you. He is your godfather."

Naruto's jaw drops. At the back of his mind, he notes that Yuurei's eyes seem to be laughing at him. "My- My _godfather_?! Oh my god, what were my parents thinking?!"

Yuurei snickers at his expense. "Ask Jiraiya. Then again, you should have a good idea as to who your old man is."

Naruto freezes. Yuurei always seems to know what he's thinking. "...You mean I'm right? My dad... My dad's the-"

His voice automatically drops to a whisper. "The Yondaime?"

Yuurei smiles. "Got it in one. But that's enough bombs for tonight. Go ask Ero-sennin for more information if you're curious."

Naruto reluctantly agrees and Yuurei soon sends him off to bed because he can't concentrate anyway.

Sometimes, he feels like Yuurei knows his entire life story, especially when the man pops something like this on him.

**XIV.**

Jiraiya sprays his sake all over the table when Naruto pipes up over dinner the very next night, "So, _godfather_, mind telling me about my parents?"

Naruto watches with deep satisfaction as his sensei hacks and coughs, spluttering in shock. To be fair, he was waiting for the man to take a swig of the alcohol before voicing his question.

"Wh- What brought this on?" Jiraiya chokes out as he recovers.

Naruto shrugs, feigning indifference. "I'm curious. No one's ever told me about my mum or dad. I mean..."

He pauses and waits for Jiraiya to take a fortifying gulp of sake – not a very smart move on his sensei's part.

"...I don't know anything about my dad, except the fact that he's the Yondaime."

Another spit-take, and Naruto snorts with laughter as Jiraiya pounds on his own chest, trying to clear his airway.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Jiraiya accuses as he carefully puts aside the alcohol.

"What gave it away?" Naruto sniggers. "Serves you right, keeping secrets like this from me."

"It was to keep you safe!" Jiraiya harrumphs. "Why do you think I never had a hand in raising you? I was out spying and fending off any enemies that might want to harm you!"

"And you couldn't find the time to stop by even once?" Naruto points out, trying to keep the resentment out of his voice. His childhood was on the miserable side, all things considered, but he isn't going to dredge that up now. He doesn't want pity.

Jiraiya at least has the decency to look ashamed. "Sarutobi-sensei said that he'd take care of you. And you looked so much like Minato, even as a baby. I was... I thought I might up and take you with me one day if I saw you too much. You were safer in Konoha."

Naruto clicked his tongue derisively and couldn't help muttering vindictively, "Yeah, growing up on the streets and in the Red-Light District was real safe."

Jiraiya jolts and he looks genuinely surprised. "Red-Light District? Streets? Sensei said he placed you in an orphanage."

Naruto eyeballs him and scowls scornfully at the man. "Kicked me out when I was four and old enough to take care of myself. What'd you expect? I share room and board with a demon fox!"

Jiraiya looks pale, maybe even a bit sick.

"I- I didn't know that," He stutters uncharacteristically, and behind the helpless bewilderment, something dark and dangerous burns in his eyes.

Naruto softens against his will. "Whatever, it's in the past. It already happened and, on the bright side, I learned every shortcut and hiding place in Konoha. I even know how to sneak into the Hyuuga Compound without being seen."

Jiraiya smiles somewhat weakly and it doesn't quite reach his eyes so Naruto prompts, "So? My parents? Who was my mother?"

And that's how Naruto finds out about Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. Jiraiya is a good storyteller. It's no surprise – the man may write smut for a living but Naruto's read some of it after getting curious and the orange books actually have pretty good plots.

"But how did you know I'm your godfather?" Jiraiya asks three hours later.

Naruto hesitates. This is it. Yuurei has as good as given his permission for Naruto to tell Jiraiya about him but, at the same time, Naruto knows that he will never forgive himself if his sensei, who is also Konoha's main spy and advisor to baa-chan, gets Yuurei arrested or captured or tortured or executed or all of them combined.

In the end, it all comes down to trust. Does he trust Jiraiya?

Naruto takes a deep breath. "He's no danger to me."

Jiraiya is suddenly alert and doesn't even glance at the alcohol anymore, having already guessed what Naruto is going on about.

"He's been training me," Naruto explains. "Have you heard from jiji or even Kakashi-sensei about that mission Team Seven went on in Wave? That was the first time I met him. Actually, I didn't even see him that time but he helped me save Haku by somehow making me faster. And then the next time was during the Chuunin Exam when Sasuke, Sakura-chan, and I were facing off against Orochimaru. I think that snake bastard was trying to put some sort of seal on me to cut off the Kyuubi's chakra but something snapped the branch I was standing on and made me fall just before Orochimaru could do anything. And then Sakura-chan was knocked out and he appeared and tried to save Sasuke-"

He babbles on but Jiraiya soon raises a hand and leans forward to look him in the eye. "This person you're talking about – is he the one who saved that examiner? Gekkou Hayate? And the Sandaime as well by sealing Orochimaru's reincarnation jutsu?"

Naruto nods vigorously and watches as Jiraiya settles back with a contemplative look on his face. "And let me guess – he's not a Konoha-nin?"

Naruto grunts evasively but Jiraiya takes this as a confirmation and sighs heavily.

"I can see why you didn't want to tell me," Jiraiya comments.

Naruto huffs. "That's not the only reason. Yuurei-san is- Well he's _my_ secret. I mean, he has dinner waiting for me when I come home late from training and he spars with me and helps me learn jutsus and he bought me my chakra blades."

"So he's the one who bought them for you," Jiraiya doesn't look surprised.

"Yeah, as a present for when I was promoted to Chuunin," Naruto peers curiously at the man. "How did you know I didn't buy them?"

Jiraiya shrugs. "You could've bought them – I wouldn't know about that – but there's no way you could've learned how to channel chakra into those blades and fight with them as well as you can without someone teaching you. When you fight with those weapons, there aren't any rough edges to your movements. You couldn't possibly fight like that just by watching somebody train, not to mention your style isn't one that looks like you just made up on the spot, and I know for a fact that Asuma doesn't fight like you do."

Naruto grins, feeling unreasonably pleased.

"So his name is Yuurei?" Jiraiya enquires idly. "Strange name, although I suppose it suits him if he can come and go from Konoha without getting caught."

"He says it's the name he goes by now," Naruto reveals. "But that it isn't the name his parents gave him."

"I rather doubt it would be," Jiraiya agrees dryly. "What made you change your mind about telling me anyway?"

Naruto rubs the back of his neck. "Yuurei-san's never told me I couldn't tell anyone. In fact, he said I could tell as many as I wanted to, but I wanted to make sure with him first."

Jiraiya stills. "He's been here?"

Naruto blinks. "Yeah, he came by yesterday. I never know when he's going to drop by but he visits whenever he has time. I thought you would've realized by now. He's the one who told me that you're my godfather."

"I assumed he told you before we left the village," Jiraiya grumbles. "Where does this guy get his information anyway? No one knows I'm your godfather besides the old man and Tsunade."

Naruto shrugs. "No idea. Yuurei-san seems to know everything."

Jiraiya snorts. "And you accept it just like that, huh? Typical."

Naruto rolls his eyes at him but they both stay quiet for several minutes.

"Did he ever mention what he does when he isn't around?" Jiraiya asks next.

Naruto shakes his head. "Not really. He disappeared right after Sasuke ran off though and didn't come back until the day before we left on this trip. I asked him about it and he said-"

"-he was out destroying Orochimaru's labs," Jiraiya finishes.

Naruto blinks and nods carefully. His sensei looks a bit thunderstruck all of a sudden. "Ero-sennin?"

"Did he say how he did it?" Jiraiya sounds almost urgent. "I've been looking for those labs for years and only found two. He found and destroyed seven labs in the span of four months!"

Naruto shakes his head again. "Dunno. He always says he never gets caught though. But he came home after four months with a bloody arm!"

Jiraiya's brow furrowed. "Nothing too bad?"

"No," Naruto taps his left arm. "He said he got careless on the way out of one of the labs. Got caught in an ambush."

Jiraiya nods and finally reaches for his sake again. "How long does it usually take for him to drop by? Not back in Konoha. Visiting you on the road I mean."

Naruto shrugs. "Could be a day, could be two weeks – that's the longest so far. ...You're not gonna... try to kill him, are you?"

Jiraiya glances at him. "All things considered, he hasn't done anything to harm Konoha. Besides, he found a way to seal a powerful forbidden jutsu that Orochimaru completed without letting him know. That takes skill. Unless he's a confirmed enemy, I don't feel like fighting him."

"He snuck into Konoha," Naruto reminds him.

Jiraiya grunts. "Brat, do you _want_ me to kill him?"

Naruto drew himself up indignantly. "Of course not!"

"Then don't complain!" Jiraiya snaps. "Right now, as far as I can see, he's doing Konoha a favour. The more labs he destroys, the better it is for us. Not to mention he _saved_ the Sandaime. As much as I hate to admit it, the old man is past his prime. If Orochimaru had succeeded in raising the Shodaime and Nidaime as he had planned, Sensei wouldn't have survived."

Naruto relaxes at last. Jiraiya snorts at his expression. "That's some faith you have in me, kid."

Naruto glares. "Well how would I know? Just because _I_ trust Yuurei-san doesn't mean you would. You're loyal to Konoha."

"So are you," Jiraiya says pointedly.

"Yeah, but I _know_ Yuurei-san," Naruto clarifies. "I know he'd never betray Konoha."

Jiraiya pauses, drink halfway to his mouth. "How do you know that?"

Naruto remains motionless for a long while. "There was this one time – it was the only time I ever saw him anywhere other than my apartment or the clearing in the forest that we usually go to train in – I was passing by the Memorial Stone on my way to Training Ground Three to meet up with my teammates. And I saw him there. He was standing in front of it and I was gonna go over and say hi but... he just looked so sad standing there, almost like he wanted to cry. I didn't want to disturb him."

Naruto shrugs, discomfited and already feeling guilty for telling Jiraiya this. "I just don't think anyone who could look like that while they're staring at the names of dead people can willingly harm the village that those people are from."

Jiraiya says nothing in response to this revelation. There isn't really much one could say.

"Can I meet him?" Jiraiya queries instead.

Naruto shrugs, half of him already rebelling against this idea. "I dunno. I'll ask him the next time he comes."

And that is that. They finish dinner and turns in for the night. The only thing Naruto keeps to himself is the fact that Yuurei just might be his relative because Jiraiya never mentions that his father had any siblings and Naruto can't bring himself to ask.

**XV.**

"He wants to meet you."

"No. Not now."

**XVI.**

"He said no."

"Seeing as he's not here, I gathered that much for myself, thanks."

"He said not now."

"Then maybe later?"

**XVII.**

It's been almost two years since Naruto first started on this journey. He's just turned fifteen and Jiraiya's decided to celebrate with him again. The man had done the same when he had turned fourteen but Naruto still finds it somewhat surprising.

Yuurei still refuses to meet Jiraiya but the Toad Sage has long since accepted the former's presence in Naruto's life, and even graciously turns a blind eye whenever Naruto perks up in the middle of the day upon sensing Yuurei's chakra signature and allows him to skip off to go train with his mentor instead.

That is another unusual thing though. No matter how hard Jiraiya tries or how much Naruto tries to help, his sensei cannot sense Yuurei's chakra signature. It mystifies Jiraiya, especially since Naruto can pick it up quite easily now.

"Yuurei-san got me a present!" Naruto announces the moment he returns to the hotel room he and Jiraiya is staying in.

His sensei is already sitting on the floor with a messily-wrapped gift on the side and a slightly lopsided birthday cake topped with fifteen candles in front of him.

"What is it this time?" Jiraiya eyes the orange present in Naruto's hands pensively. "It better not be another ten-million-yen gift. He's making me look bad."

Naruto scoffs. "You're just cheap, Ero-sennin. The ice bombs and sealing tags he got me last year weren't that expensive. Nobody told you to get me a wallet."

Jiraiya looks highly affronted. "Your old one tore during practice so I got you a new one! Do you know how long it took me to find a _frog_ wallet?"

Naruto grins as he flops down opposite his sensei. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't sulk, Ero-sennin. You're a grown man."

They spend the next hour snacking on cake as Naruto blows out his candles – he wishes for Sasuke's return – and opens his presents.

Jiraiya has given him-

"A book?" Naruto asks dubiously.

Jiraiya throws him a dirty look. "Your enthusiasm overwhelms me. Yes, a book. I wrote it."

Naruto is even more incredulous at this. "You gave me porn for my birthday?"

Jiraiya throws up his hands. "For God's sakes, brat, not everything I write is porn! Could you at least read the title before passing judgement?"

Naruto reluctantly picks up the book and squints at the cover. "'The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi'. Seriously? What kinda title is that?"

Jiraiya heaves a long-suffering sigh. "It was the first book I ever wrote. It was also your father's favourite book. You were named after the main character."

Naruto straightens, a little more interested now. He flips through the book and gives it a cursory scan before setting it aside.

"It's gonna take me a while to finish reading it," He concludes bluntly. He's never been a big fan of books. "But thanks."

Jiraiya sighs again and waves a hand. "You're welcome. Let's see what your ghost got you. It's bound to be more exciting than a book."

Naruto grins unapologetically and tears into the orange package. Inside is-

"A scroll?" He scratches his head before unrolling it. An intricate seal that almost makes Naruto's head spin spans the inside of the scroll.

Jiraiya leans forward as well and they study it together. Naruto doesn't get it, even after fifteen minutes of complete silence, but his sensei seems to understand because the man's eyes widen and he seizes the scroll for a closer look.

"My God," He breathes, and Naruto nudges his knee.

"What is it?" He demands. "What does that seal do?"

Jiraiya lowers the scroll. Frankly, he looks like he's been hit over the head with a hammer.

"What does it do?" Jiraiya echoes. "Naruto, your ghost friend is a genius. This seal, if I'm reading it correctly, counteracts the Cursed Seal of Heaven."

Naruto blinks, and then blinks again before he _gets_ it. "Cursed Seal-? You mean the snake bastard's Cursed Seal? So that thing can get rid of the Seal Orochimaru stuck on Sasuke?!"

"Exactly," Jiraiya isn't looking at him anymore, studying the scroll once more. "I don't know how he did it, but he did it. Just a tenth of this thing is mind-boggling. Even if I had all the information on the Cursed Seal at my disposal, it would literally take me years to come up with something like-"

Jiraiya stops abruptly, realization dawning in his eyes. "Ah, that's why."

"_What's_ why?" Naruto prods impatiently.

Jiraiya glances distractedly at him again. "It's why he's been going around destroying Orochimaru's labs. Or at least part of the reason anyway. He's been gathering information on the Cursed Seal. _That's_ how he managed to come up with this. It's taken him two years and he's finally done it. And now he's handing it over to you."

Jiraiya shakes his head, still looking dumbfounded. "Your ghost has just given you half the key to getting your emo teammate back. The Cursed Seal does no favours for the victim's mental stability. What the heck did you do to get someone like this on your side, Naruto?"

Naruto has no idea but he stares at the priceless scroll and swears that someday, somehow, he would pay Yuurei back for everything he has done.

**XVIII.**

To Naruto's utter amusement and exasperation, Jiraiya refuses to give him back the scroll until he has studied it thoroughly. The man was like a child with a new toy.

"I want to meet him," The Sannin demands for the first time in a year and a half. "Tell him I won't report him or attack him or even speak of the meeting if that's what he's afraid of. It'll be confidential."

Naruto relays as much to Yuurei when he next sees him, _after_ thanking the man at least two dozen times.

"Maybe," Is all Yuurei says on the matter, and Naruto is forced to leave it at that.

**XIX.**

The day Yuurei and Jiraiya finally meet face-to-face is four weeks after that conversation.

All Naruto remembers prior to blacking out is his idiot sensei unlocking Naruto's seal just to see what would happen. Apparently, the man hadn't expected Naruto to lose control to the damn fox.

When Naruto wakes up again, Jiraiya is sitting rather guiltily beside his bed while Yuurei is leaning against the window frame, figure bathed in the light of the setting sun.

"Wh- What happened?" He croaks hoarsely as he eases himself up into a sitting position.

Yuurei glances at him but it is Jiraiya who explains. His sensei had unlocked Naruto's seal, only for the Kyuubi to take over and end up producing a four-tailed form.

"Would've left a nasty scar if your ghost hadn't arrived when he did," Jiraiya finishes, jabbing a finger over at Yuurei. "Bought me enough time to slap a seal on you and lock the Kyuubi up again."

Naruto knows 'a nasty scar' pretty much translates to 'a life-threatening injury' and he doesn't know whether he should blame Jiraiya or blame himself.

"Blame him," Yuurei speaks up at last, fishing Naruto's indecision from his head with ease. "He shouldn't have messed with the seal like that."

Jiraiya grimaces but doesn't argue. A stilted silence descends on the room.

"Well," Naruto attempts to lighten the mood. "At least you two finally met."

Something odd flashes across Jiraiya's face as the man turns to glance sidelong at Yuurei. "You didn't tell me what your ghost looked like, Naruto."

Naruto frowns in confusion before he understands what Jiraiya is getting at. Yuurei does look a _lot_ like him. Put them side-by-side – or not, for that matter – and a blind man would call them family.

Naruto chews on his lip before deciding to push his advantage. It's a bit mean but Jiraiya is here so maybe they could try to weasel it out of Yuurei together.

"So... who are you?" Naruto gives his best puppy-dog eyes. "I mean, I know I've never actually said it before but you look... well you look a lot like me."

Yuurei doesn't say a word. Naruto tries again. "Are we... related?"

Yuurei continues staring at him, expression unreadable.

"I didn't know Minato had any siblings," Jiraiya murmured, studying Yuurei closely. "But I'll eat my books if you don't have at least some Namikaze blood in you."

Naruto feels ludicrously happy upon this confirmation.

Yuurei finally sighs but Naruto is disappointed once again when his mentor only shakes his head. "I'm not going to lie to you, Naruto, so I will not say anything. Think what you want – it doesn't really change who I am in the end."

Yuurei slips off the windowsill and Naruto knows the man is about to leave.

"W- Wait!" He tries to scramble out of bed but only succeeds in making himself dizzy.

"Stay in bed, brat, before you fall out of it!"

There is a moment's pause as all three of the room's occupants realize that both Yuurei and Jiraiya have reprimanded Naruto at the same time.

Naruto snickers even though his entire body aches. "Wow, are you sure _you two_ aren't related?"

Jiraiya's mouth twitches up into a smile while Yuurei scoffs but looks amused as well.

"I won't ask then," Naruto promises now that his mentor isn't heading for the door. "But you have to tell me one day."

Yuurei sighs but inclines his head. "I did promise."

Naruto blinks. "It's one of the two reasons you picked me?"

Yuurei hums while Jiraiya glances between them, puzzled. "Reasons?"

"Why Yuurei-san chose to stick with me and train me," Naruto elaborates. "He said it was because he could see my potential and he knows how strong I can get with the proper training, and because he likes my dreams and ideals."

Yuurei snorts. "I _respect_ them – there's a difference."

"Same thing," Naruto says flippantly before returning to his explanation. "Yuurei-san says there are two more reasons, and he promised to tell me them one day."

Jiraiya looks thoughtful as he turns back to Yuurei but he doesn't comment on it. Instead, he enquires somberly, "What are your plans regarding Konoha?"

Naruto frowns in confusion again. Plans _regarding_ Konoha? So far, Yuurei hadn't done anything except wage a one-man war against Orochimaru.

But Yuurei doesn't falter. He even looks like he has been expecting the question.

"Save it," Yuurei states with the same sort of straightforward resolve that Naruto uses when he declares his dream.

Save it, not protect it, not defend it. Save it.

Naruto is still perplexed long after Yuurei has left but he wonders if, in some way, saving Konoha is the fourth reason his mentor chose him. Jiraiya just looks contemplative.

**XX.**

But from that point on, as if some sort of permission has been granted, Yuurei drops by more often, and more often than not, he appears when Jiraiya is around. Likewise, the Sannin doesn't bat an eye, accepting Yuurei into their party as if he has always been there.

Then again, that is technically true.

They train Naruto together now whenever Yuurei is around, and after the first few sessions, Naruto catches a speculative gleam in Jiraiya's eyes that Naruto recognizes from his own. His sensei wants a spar with Yuurei.

But Jiraiya doesn't ask and Yuurei doesn't offer. Apparently, they're content enough with teaching Naruto together.

Naruto also gets a good laugh whenever Yuurei comes and Jiraiya is doing his research. His mentor seems to take great pleasure in kicking the Sannin headfirst into whichever bathing house or hot springs he is spying on and letting the ladies beat him up.

Jiraiya glares and complains and threatens bodily harm on the older blond but, once or twice, Naruto spots an almost fond look directed at Yuurei whenever his mentor's back is turned.

And then, one day, about two months after Jiraiya's first meeting with Yuurei, Naruto's mentor appears beside them with his typical unannounced swiftness but barely pauses before telling them, "I will be gone for a while. Two, maybe three months."

Naruto spills out protests but Jiraiya only studies Yuurei for a moment before dropping a hand on Naruto's head to shut him up.

"Nothing bad, I hope?" The Sannin enquires lightly.

Yuurei actually smiles, if a bit wryly. "If all goes well, it will be very good."

Jiraiya's eyebrows raise as Naruto rocks anxiously onto the balls of his feet but all his sensei says is, "Then I hope everything goes well."

Naruto hastily throws in his own well-wishes and they watch Yuurei disappear again.

"Come on," Jiraiya gently shoves him forward. "We have another hour before we hit the next town."

**XXI.**

The following weeks are strange at best. At first, nothing is really different. Naruto is used to Yuurei coming and going, and he and Jiraiya travel across the continent per usual.

But then, three weeks after Yuurei disappears on his self-appointed mission, Jiraiya receives a messenger hawk from Tsunade. This isn't very uncommon either – the old hag always sends (mostly) regular updates on the village to Jiraiya.

What _is_ different this time is the fact that it is Takamaru who delivers the message, the fastest hawk in all of Konoha.

Naruto bounds over and reads over Jiraiya's shoulder as the Sannin wastes no time unfolding the message. The message is encrypted and it takes even his sensei half an hour and their respective chakra signatures to crack it.

_Found file on desk. Pertains to Uchiha Itachi. More to Uchiha Massacre. Acted on Shimura Danzou's orders. Itachi's hand was forced – Clan or brother. All evidence confirmed. Itachi sent his own missive – is willing to pass on information on Akatsuki to you. Will be in touch. Legitimacy confirmed. (Yes, this is fucking happening – I'm not drunk. I can hardly believe it too.) Burn after reading._

A stunned silence follows. Naruto knows about Akatsuki – he has managed to badger that out of Jiraiya a year ago after Yuurei taught him how to argue properly and present stronger rationales.

He has no idea how to take this in though, and judging by Jiraiya's blank expression, the Sannin doesn't either.

Because if this is true – and baa-chan says it is; the woman is a drunk but she's good at what she does – then Itachi was forced to pick between his Clan and Sasuke by this Danzou bastard, which also means that-

That Sasuke has run off for nothing.

Naruto wonders why Yuurei – because really, who _else_ could it possibly be? – hadn't presented the file earlier, and then feels guilty because – duh – there is no way Sasuke would have stuck around long enough to listen and, more importantly, _believe_, especially with Orochimaru influencing him.

But this. This changes everything.

"So Itachi's spying for us now?" Naruto pipes up when he can't stand the silence any longer.

Jiraiya shakes his head a little before tossing the missive into the fire. "Looks like it. I still want to see it with my own eyes though."

"I can't believe Yuurei-san managed to convince Itachi into spying for us though," Naruto mutters and gets a sharp look from Jiraiya.

"What?" Naruto says defensively. "You and I both know it's him doing all this."

"But how did he find out?" Jiraiya scowls in frustration. "I have the best spy network in all of Fire Country, one of the best across the entire continent, and I've never heard anything about this, not a word. And then your ghost ups and disappears for three weeks and suddenly Uchiha Itachi of all people has agreed to spy for us."

"Maybe you just suck," Naruto suggests, and promptly gets slapped upside the head.

The surprises don't end there. Another five weeks pass and another missive arrives. Naruto thinks Jiraiya looks just a bit apprehensive.

_Itachi has agreed to meet you. Minakami Onsen, Yugakure, Land of Hot Water, two weeks, noon. Stay alert, and for pity's sake, don't be late. Burn after reading._

"...Well," Jiraiya sighs resignedly. "Guess we're going to Yugakure."

**XXII.**

"So this _is_ a trick after all!" Naruto snarls when they reach the meeting room and finds not just Uchiha Itachi inside but Hoshigaki Kisame after all. He leaps back and reaches for his chakra blades.

Kisame only snorts mockingly and remains in his corner of the room, arms crossed. Upon closer inspection, Naruto discovers that the shark-man actually looks kinda beaten up.

"Put those away, pipsqueak," The swordsman says. "If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead, and then I'd be dead because I'd have gramps over there _and_ your whacko lookalike after my head."

Jiraiya looks mortally offended at being called gramps but Naruto is more focused on the last bit. "'Whacko lookalike'? You met Yuu- someone who looks like me?"

"Met?" Kisame growls, but Naruto detects a measure of grudging respect behind the palpable annoyance in his voice. "Well I guess we did, in a manner of speaking. The damn runt fights like a ghost."

Yuurei really isn't that short – he's taller than average even – but Kisame is the tallest person Naruto has ever met so he supposes it makes sense. But...

"Haha!" Naruto crows, pocketing his weapons when it becomes clear that neither Akatsuki member is going to attack. "You got your ass kicked, didn't you Fish-Face?"

Kisame glowers at him but Itachi cuts in before anymore insults can be traded. "Kisame, we are wasting time."

And the atmosphere suddenly becomes heavy again as Itachi steps out of the shadows, features as boring and bland as ever. However, for once, Itachi does not have his Sharingan activated.

Odd. Does that mean Itachi doesn't consider them a threat? But no one in their right mind would outright trust former enemies at the first meeting, even if they are tentative allies now.

"Alright, let's get down to business," Jiraiya moves forward as well and sits down at the table. Itachi follows suit after a moment. "Naruto, stop antagonizing Fish-Face."

Naruto snickers while Kisame glowers even harder. Apparently, Jiraiya doesn't appreciate the gramps comment.

In a cool, concise tone, Itachi outlines Akatsuki's plans for them and Naruto soon forgets to keep an eye on Kisame because the Uchiha is telling them about a kidnapping attempt a month and a half from now, a kidnapping attempt on _Gaara_, because the teen is the Ichibi's Jinchuuriki.

Naruto is all for rushing off and hunting down the rest of the Akatsuki but both Jiraiya and Itachi shoots him down.

"You are not strong enough to kill them all," Itachi states flatly. "_I_ am not strong enough to kill them all."

That shuts Naruto up, mostly because he has never expected a Uchiha to admit to a weakness.

"It is better to wait until the Akatsuki makes their move," Itachi continues monotonously. "All members will convene to extract the Ichibi, with the exception of Pain."

He goes on to describe each member – Deidara and Sasori, Kakuzu and Hidan and even Zetsu – as well as the best way to defeat each of them. Jiraiya is visibly torn between writing everything down and looking to be stuck in a perpetual state of disbelief.

"Yuurei-san has asked me to tell you to leave the woman alone," Itachi tacks on at the end. Naruto thinks it sounds plain weird for Itachi of all people to address anyone an honorific.

Jiraiya pauses. "Why?"

"He did not say," Itachi shifts minutely, eyes glued on the Sannin. "But he told me you would understand when you heard her name. She calls herself Konan."

Jiraiya noticeably freezes, unable to hide his shock for several seconds.

Naruto nudges his sensei's shoulder. "What is it? D'you know her?"

Jiraiya frowns, tapping his pencil against his chin. "She's a former student. I haven't heard anything from her for years."

"Eh?!" Naruto exclaims. "I thought you taught my dad!"

Jiraiya rolls his eyes. "Your old man's not the only person I ever taught. I've had four students before you, brat."

"And one of them ended up a criminal," Kisame smirked. "Doesn't say much for your teaching skills, gramps."

Jiraiya shoots the shark-man a thoroughly irritated look but doesn't let the insult bother him beyond that. Naruto is a different matter. His sensei could be a lazy perv on the best of days but nobody – except himself, Yuurei, and Tsunade, obviously – talks trash about the man in front of Naruto and gets away with it.

"Shut up, Fish-Face!" Naruto hollers. "What does that say about _your_ sensei? At least one of Ero-sennin's students became a Hokage!"

There is a moment where Kisame looks taken aback and Jiraiya facepalms while Itachi looks on, one eyebrow ticked up.

"So your old man really is the Yondaime?" Kisame recovers and eyes Naruto closely. "I did wonder. Your lookalike's almost the spittin' image of the Yellow Flash too."

"Naruto, stop blurting it out everywhere you go," Jiraiya admonishes.

Naruto snorts and crosses his arms. "I have blond hair and blue eyes. The Yondaime has blond hair and blue eyes. _How_ no one figures it out for themselves the moment they lay eyes on me, I have no idea. The entire village must be blind."

Even Itachi gains an air of faint amusement for a brief second at Naruto's words before Jiraiya pulls them all back on topic.

"Alright, I suppose I could discuss the issue with the Hokage, but if Konan really is part of Akatsuki, I can't tell others to hold back if she comes at them to kill."

Itachi gives a semblance of a shrug as if to say he is only passing on a message and that it doesn't particularly concern him whether Jiraiya listens to it or not.

God help him, Naruto's picking up Uchiha-ese.

From there, they gradually wrap up the meeting. Itachi gives his word that he will pass on the location of the extraction when he finds out before rising from his seat and begins heading for the door with Kisame.

"One more thing," Jiraiya calls after them, though his gaze remains on Itachi. "Why now? I understand you didn't have much of a choice when it came to your Clan but you've been working on your own for years now. Why agree to work with Konoha now after playing the game your way for so long?"

Itachi doesn't turn around but he doesn't immediately leave either.

"Game?" Itachi finally repeats. "An apt comparison. It is simple. A new player has entered the field – it is only logical to adjust my plans accordingly."

A second later, they are gone, and, too late, Naruto remembers that he had wanted to question the Uchiha on his reasons for goading Sasuke into killing him.

"I think," Jiraiya voices slowly after a long minute. "It's time to go home."

Naruto thinks of Gaara and the strength of the Akatsuki and the speed at which Yuurei has brought everything together in the past few months, and he can't agree more.

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**Please leave a review on your way out.**

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**Fuuton: Kamikaze – Wind Release: Divine Wind**

**Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu – Earth Release: Hidden Mole Technique**

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**This was actually meant to be a oneshot but the plotline ran away with itself and became something else. Might continue it if I have another burst of inspiration.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Naruto.**

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**Ghost**

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**XXIII.**

Two weeks later and a month ahead of schedule, Naruto and Jiraiya are back in Konoha.

They suffer through a meeting with Tsunade – in which the old hag goes on a tirade about how she has no idea who is passing on all this information but that it all turns out to be correct, and _Naruto_ rants on about how they should seriously just waste this Danzou bastard who seems to be the mastermind behind a whole lot of grief – before the woman dismisses them and tells them to go rest and visit friends. She would call them back once she finishes briefing the Clan Heads (it goes without saying that Danzou is going to be kept out of this, as well as the Council).

Word is probably spreading already that they have returned but it would take a while before anyone Naruto knows finds him so he is all for heading back to his apartment to take a hot shower and eat some ramen first. He invites Jiraiya along, but his sensei, unsurprisingly, declines.

"Tch," Naruto crosses his arms with a huff. "They should ban you from the public baths and hot springs. If Yuurei-san was here, he'd dump your ass in again."

Jiraiya snorts. "Don't remind me. Your ghost will know we've come back home though, right?"

Naruto nods. "He always knows where I am. And he's not gonna be happy if he sees you perving again."

Jiraiya rolls his eyes. "Like I care. He'll just have to suck it up, that prude. Besides, I'm not doing my research this time. I'm off to visit Sarutobi-sensei."

Naruto blinks and then brightens. "Oh! I haven't seen him in a long while too! I'll come with you!"

"Not this time," Naruto makes a face when Jiraiya ruffles his hair. Honestly, he isn't a child anymore. "It's adult business, brat. I have things to talk to him about. Go home, get some rest, and then go find your teammates. I'll see you later."

Naruto frowns petulantly as Jiraiya Shunshins away. Adult business? And Jiraiya doesn't want him around for it?

Really, that's just _asking_ for Naruto to follow.

So he does. He makes his own way to jiji's home, enhancing his eyesight and hearing with chakra so he doesn't have to get too close. Jiraiya is a Sannin after all, and the Sandaime is... well, the Sandaime.

It's very lucky that most people are at work and the Sarutobi Compound isn't smack in the middle of the village because Jiraiya isn't _talking_ to jiji like he said.

Instead, Naruto's sensei is having it out with the retired Hokage right there on the front lawn in the middle of the compound, voice raised in unmistakeable fury. Even his hair seems to bristle.

"-promised me you'd take care of him!" Jiraiya is shouting even as the other clan members all mysteriously clear out to give the two some semblance of privacy.

The Sandaime looks a little on the pale side as he listens to his former student's outburst. Naruto can't blame him. He has never, _ever_ heard his sensei yell like this before. Sure, Jiraiya's raised his voice before, sometimes annoyed, sometimes even irritated, but it was always accompanied with an underlying edge of laidback tolerance and even amusement.

Jiraiya has never sounded truly _angry_.

But he certainly does now.

"And then I hear that he grew up on the streets! Of the _Red-Light District_!" Jiraiya snarls. "He could've been killed! He could've been _raped_! Could've been sold off without anyone the wiser! You were supposed to make sure he was taken care of!"

"Jiraiya," For the first time, Sarutobi looks uncertain and... increasingly distressed. "I had no idea-"

"_No idea?!_" Jiraiya spits out bitterly. "He was your charge! You were supposed to keep an eye on him even if you did dump him in an orphanage! He wasn't supposed to have to take care of himself! Three-quarters of the village already hates him! What exactly made you think trusting Naruto's wellbeing to a bunch of overworked civilians who hate his very existence in an already-packed orphanage would be a good idea? But I allowed it, because you said – you_ swore_ – you'd make sure he was taken care of. Said you'd meet with him regularly to make sure he was doing alright!"

"I did!" The Sandaime rallies almost defensively. "I- He never said a word-"

"Does Naruto strike you as the type to whine about his problems?!" Jiraiya barks. "After you passed that ridiculous law and refused to allow Naruto to be adopted even though he was _my_ godson, you _promised me_ you'd make sure he grew up safely! I didn't like it because we both know safe doesn't mean happy, but I agreed, on the condition that you kept your word while I left the village and made sure nobody from other villages succeeded in killing him. I did my job, _Sensei_ – what about you?"

Naruto doesn't hear anymore after that because the two shinobi withdraw into the main house soon after to continue their sort-of-conversation.

It leaves Naruto stunned though. He had thought that his sensei had let the issue go after Naruto had dismissed it two years ago. He has absolutely no idea that Jiraiya has been nursing a grudge the size of Fire Country all this time and was simply waiting for their trip to end and the opportunity to see jiji again face-to-face to let all his pent-up rage explode.

Jiji kinda deserves it though, and Naruto feels a rush of affection for his godfather even as the entire rather one-sided dispute leaves Naruto with the same heady, warm feeling he has felt once before when Yuurei first started becoming a permanent fixture in his life.

Still, it's a bit scary to watch even though that anger hadn't been directed at him, and Naruto makes a mental note to never get on Jiraiya's bad side if he can help it. Apparently, behind that lazy, easygoing, perverted, joking personality is a dangerous temper that can seemingly rival the Kyuubi's when unleashed.

Naruto heads home but he doesn't even make it halfway before he is accosted by a familiar, grown-up but still growing, pink-haired kunoichi, and Naruto forgets his immediate problems and just enjoys the free hug he gets from Sakura, and the joyful greetings from Konohamaru and his friends, and the hellos from Shikamaru's team and Kiba's team.

**XXIV.**

The next time Naruto is called into Tsunade's office, it looks like some sort of war council's been assembled.

Every single clan head is in attendance, grim-faced and silent on the left side of the room. Team Gai, Team Eight, Team Ten, Sakura, and Kakashi – who arrives late – are there, along with Shizune and Jiraiya, standing on the far right. Ibiki and Anko are present, as well as Shiranui Genma, Gekkou Hayate, and a purple-haired woman in ANBU gear. Sarutobi is there too, puffing on his pipe. Naruto could almost see the tension between the old man and Jiraiya. Temari is there as well, but Naruto remembers Shikamaru mentioning something about her being here as Suna's ambassador.

However, the biggest surprise, hands down, is the fact that Uchiha Itachi is there as well, though Kisame is nowhere in sight. Itachi is given a wide berth and more than one shinobi has their eye on him.

"Alright, now that we're all here," Tsuande pauses to give Kakashi the evil eye. "First thing's first – I wanna know who's been playing spy for Konoha and I wanna know now."

She stops again and her gaze sweeps the room and Naruto has to fight to stay still when her eyes linger briefly on him. It doesn't help that she also looks at Jiraiya and Itachi in turn. For an old hag, her instincts are top-notch. "Now, I know at least one person in this room can tell me. Jiraiya, I'll start with you."

To his credit, Jiraiya doesn't so much as bat an eye, even as every single person in the office swings around to look at him. "Is that really important right now?"

Tsunade's eyes narrow. "We're talking about someone who knows more about Konoha than all of us combined. And am I supposed to believe that Hoshigaki Kisame suddenly had a change of heart and decided to help out Konoha just for the heck of it? _Yes_, it's important. Now tell me what you know."

"From what I've seen – not just from our meeting," Jiraiya voices evasively. "Kisame is loyal to Itachi. They could even be friends, in the loosest sense of the word, but friends nonetheless. Now that Itachi's unofficially defected, I suppose he decided to follow."

Naruto slants a surreptitious glance at his sensei and says nothing.

"But why is Itachi defecting?" Tsunade perseveres. Naruto wonders if either of them remembers the fact that Itachi is actually in the room. "I realize that he only joined Akatsuki to keep an eye on them but you can't possibly make me believe that he just woke up one morning and decided to abandon all his previous plans and join up with Konoha again."

Jiraiya shrugs indifferently but Tsunade slams a hand against her desk in response, making half the room jump. "_Don't_ give me that clueless shit, Jiraiya! How long have we known each other? I _know_ when you're hiding something from me so spit it out before I nail your balls to the wall and force it out of you instead! This is serious! It concerns the safety of both Konoha _and_ Konoha's closest ally!"

Jiraiya winces and glances at Naruto. Naruto shuffles his feet guiltily. When Tsunade puts it that way, it does sound a lot worse.

"Does it have anything to do with whoever saved Hayate-san and sealed off Orochimaru's most powerful jutsu?" Shikamaru suddenly speaks up. His gaze is sharp as he stares straight at Naruto. "And the systematic destruction of Orochimaru's labs over the past two-and-a-half years, and whoever bought your chakra blades from Tenten's family shop for you?"

The silence in the office is deafening. Hayate stiffens and takes a step forward. The Sandaime doesn't outwardly react but his gaze suddenly feels more intent.

"Asuma-sensei's the only one in the village who fights with chakra blades made specifically for hand-to-hand combat," Tenten contributes helpfully. "So my dad remembers making another pair, and he mentioned it to me once and it sort of spread around. Plus, you showed them to Shikamaru a few days ago."

"Naruto," Tsunade speaks up again, hands clasped as her elbows rested on her desk. "Whoever's been helping us out – I think we can all safely assume that he's been sneaking in and out of Konoha for a long while now, but he hasn't caused any harm. Just the opposite in fact. I give you my word as Hokage that I will not harm him in any way unless he proves to be an enemy."

Naruto drops his gaze and scowls down at the floor for a long moment before looking back at Tsunade with all the defiance he could muster. "He did all of that. He's not an enemy."

To her credit, Tsunade doesn't immediately blow her top. In fact, if anything, the woman settles down again and levels Naruto with a solemn look instead. "Who's 'he'?"

"His name is Yuurei," Naruto confesses, and then draws a deep breath before cautiously finishing, "Namikaze Yuurei."

Naruto's friends and Temari and even a few of the older shinobi all look confused by this supposedly significant name but Jiraiya flicks a sharp look at him while the rest of the room collectively gasp or drops their jaw somewhere on the ground. Tsunade's eyes widen almost comically. Itachi is the only one who doesn't react, standing stoically in the room without expression.

It would've been funny if the situation isn't making Naruto nervous.

"_Namikaze?_" Tsunade barks, straightening in her seat. "Are you saying-"

Naruto nods hurriedly. Jiraiya has said so himself – there is no way Yuurei doesn't have at least some Namikaze blood in him, so Naruto is not lying; Yuurei _is_ a Namikaze, one way or another.

"He looks almost exactly like me, baa-chan, and Ero-sennin says I look almost exactly like my dad," Naruto swears. "I've seen pictures. 'Cept Yuurei-san doesn't have any whisker marks, obviously. And he's a little paler. Not as pale as my dad though."

Tsunade breathes in and out and then looks over at Jiraiya. "Is this true?"

Jiraiya hesitates for the briefest of heartbeats before saying, "Yuurei joined up with us about two years after we first started out. I saw him from behind the first time I met him – I would've mistaken him for Minato if Minato wasn't already dead."

"Excuse me, who exactly are we talking about here?" Temari cuts in impatiently but as politely as she could manage under the circumstances.

Tsunade glances at her. "Namikaze Minato, though most people across the continent refer to him as the late Yondaime Hokage, or the Yellow Flash."

Temari does a double-take before looking at Naruto. "And you're his son?"

There is no disbelief there and Naruto almost preens with pride. He isn't used to hearing acknowledgement from people other than those who really know him.

He grins cockily and nods and a wave of murmurs ripple across the room. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto spots Kakashi, book tucked away and fully focused for the first time since the meeting started.

"I thought Minato was the last of his clan," Shikaku says out loud, looking contemplative.

"Could be a bastard child," Inoichi offers, though not unkindly or Naruto would've torn him a new one. "The Namikazes didn't originate from Konoha anyway."

"Are we sure he is a Namikaze?" Hiashi voices stiffly. "I am not doubting Jiraiya-sama or even Uzumaki-kun's word but they could be mistaken."

Before Naruto could squawk an indignant protest, Itachi of all people speaks up. "You could ask him yourselves. He will arrive shortly."

Another beat of silence and then a muted uproar occurs. If the privacy wards weren't set up, most of the village would have heard them.

"QUIET!" Tsunade bellows before turning a pointed look on Itachi once everyone has shut up. "Explain."

Itachi raises an eyebrow. "What is there to explain? Yuurei-san asked me to inform you of his imminent arrival. He said he has something to take care of first but he will come here afterwards."

"Inform-" Tsunade heaves a sigh, massaging her temples. "And I suppose he'll just waltz in here without any trouble?"

Itachi looks blank. "I am under the impression that he has already done so many times before, has he not?"

Tsunade glowers at him before pinning Genma, who occasionally does gate duty, with a dark glare. "After this mess with the Akatsuki is over, I'm putting you lot through your paces."

Genma gulps around his senbon and nods somewhat meekly under the Hokage's formidable stare.

"If it helps," Jiraiya pulls out the scroll Naruto had received for his birthday. Naruto nods when his sensei glances over at him. "Yuurei made this for Naruto for his birthday."

Tsuande arches an eyebrow in silent question and quickly unrolls the scroll once Jiraiya hands it over. "This is...?"

"A seal," Jiraiya says quietly. "I've studied it thoroughly. It has the ability to completely nullify Orochimaru's Cursed Seal of Heaven."

The room explodes into pandemonium once again though Anko's voice is loudest above the hue and cry.

"Is that true?" She demands almost desperately, temporarily forgetting who she is talking to. "It can really counteract the Cursed Seal?"

Jiraiya nods. "I've checked that seal over and over for months, by myself _and_ with Yuurei. It's the genuine thing. I believe it's also part of the reason he's been going around tracking down Orochimaru's labs. He's been collecting enough data to put together something that would reverse the Cursed Seal's effects."

This time, there is no babble of voices all trying to talk over each other. Instead, a tense silence reigns the office.

"Well," Tsunade says at last, a wry smile on her lips as she lowered the scroll. "I suppose it would be beyond ungrateful to punish him for breaking and entering after everything he's done?"

"More than," Jiraiya agrees, but there is a shadow of relief in his eyes that assures Naruto as well.

"When is he coming then?" Tsunade directs this question towards Itachi.

Itachi shrugs elegantly and doesn't say anything. Tsunade gives him an exasperated look but before she can prod again, Naruto feels the familiar chakra signature of his mentor gather beside him, and a moment later, Yuurei is standing next to him in the flesh.

Three-quarters of the room all draw back and reach for their weapons but Naruto just flings himself forward and hugs the older blond. "Yuurei-san! It's been three-and-a-half months! You said only three at the most!"

"I said maybe three," Yuurei corrects as he ruffles Naruto's hair. "How have you been?"

"Great!" Naruto beams at his mentor. "I managed to complete that leaf-cutting exercise before we reached Konoha. Does that mean I can start combining wind-natured chakra with the Rasengan now?"

"Certainly not," Yuurei says firmly. "How many times have I told you? You can't skip all the steps in between just because you're an impatient brat. You're cutting waterfalls next."

Naruto pouts exaggeratedly but can't stop a grin from spreading on his face, both at Yuurei's return and the fact that the entire room is staring at them with uncertain fascination.

"Finished running around the continent?" Jiraiya steps in with an affable smile.

"For now. Finished perving on the local women?" Yuurei retorts without missing a beat.

Just like that, they fall into their usual playful banter, and, with a jolt, Naruto suddenly understands why, because, while not completely, the other shinobi in the room _have_ relaxed a little.

"Sorry for cutting this heartfelt reunion short," Tsunade interjects dryly and swiftly gains Yuurei's attention as both of Naruto's teachers fall silent. "...I see Naruto and Jiraiya weren't exaggerating. You look a hell of a lot like Minato. Definitely a Namikaze."

Naruto twitches at the sharp glance he gets from Yuurei and rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

"What of it?" Yuurei says instead, cool and without the defensive edge that Naruto probably wouldn't have been able to keep out of his voice had it been him.

Tsunade shakes her head and nods at Yuurei's feet instead. "That was the Hiraishin, wasn't it?"

Several sharp intakes of breath sounded around the room while Yuurei only inclined his head. "Yes. Naruto has the proper seal in his weapons pouch.

"He didn't know," Yuurei adds when Tsunade glances at Naruto. "I tucked it in a while ago."

Tsunade looks like she wants to drill Yuurei for information on how he had gotten the knowledge for this particular jutsu – Naruto already knows about it and his mentor has promised to teach him soon – but she only sighs in the end. "Alright, well, I suppose you already know who I am. In fact, I'd be surprised if you didn't know who everyone in this room is."

Yuurei nods in the affirmative, unfazed by some of the suspicious looks currently directed at him. Naruto does his best to glare back at them for his mentor.

"Then I'll be blunt," Tsunade continues. "Why are you helping us? You've done a hell of a lot for us in the past few years and you've never once asked for payment of any sort."

Yuurei stares at her for a long moment before dropping a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto cares about this village. That is enough reason for me to help."

Tsunade's eyebrows shoot up. "So you're helping Konoha for Naruto?"

An oddly amused smile flickers briefly at Yuurei's lips. "I suppose you could say that."

Naruto glows at his mentor's words and he feels almost giddy about it but he holds his tongue and waits for Tsunade to continue.

"Fine, we all have our own reasons," Tsunade waves the scroll in the air. "You created this?"

"Yes," Yuurei says, and Naruto detects a flash of hard-earned pride in that one word. "It took me a little over two years though."

"Considering the fact that the Cursed Seal is Orochimaru's life's work, I think it's more than a little impressive," Tsunade says sardonically. "And the seal that stopped his reincarnation technique?"

"Ah yes," Yuurei reaches into his weapons pouch and pulls out a piece of paper with the sketch of another seal on it. "You can study it, if you want. But it's permanent – Orochimaru will never be able to use that jutsu again. Yakushi Kabuto is another matter, but once the Akatsuki is taken care of, I will go after him."

Tsunade looks incredulous. She isn't the only one.

"How can you say this stuff so casually?" Kiba's mom, Tsume, cuts in. "The Impure World Reincarnation jutsu is Orochimaru's strongest attack and you just _sealed_ it?"

Yuurei gives her a bland look. "Yes."

Half the room sweatdrops while Jiraiya snags the piece of paper from Yuurei and studies it. "...This is incredible. You did this all by yourself?"

"I finished the last half of it," Yuurei reveals. "Someone else started it."

"Who?" Jiraiya asks.

Yuurei shrugs and turns to face forward again. "Doesn't matter. He's dead."

An uneasy silence descends but Tsunade forges through it. "Alright, and you've been training Naruto?"

Naruto jumps in before Yuurei can answer. "Yeah, Yuurei-san's awesome! He's been training me since before the third stage of the Chuunin Exam!"

"That's how you knew those jutsus!" Sakura speaks up for the first time since the meeting started. Her gaze darts between Naruto and Yuurei before shifting back to Naruto and staring at him as if she isn't quite sure who he is anymore. "And you were a lot faster and everything during your match against Neji-kun!"

Naruto cross his arms behind his head and smirks. "Yup, though Ero-sennin had a hand in it too, I suppose. Only a little though."

Jiraiya snorts at this afterthought but doesn't deny it.

"So you snuck into Konoha to train Naruto," Tsunade says with some perplexity.

Yuurei shrugs again. "No one else was."

There is no accusation or blame in his mentor's voice but Naruto notices Kakashi's minute flinch anyway. Some part of him is vindictively pleased – it seems Kakashi at least feels something about abandoning him right in the middle of the Chuunin Exam, even if it was for a good cause (and look how well that turned out).

Tsunade sighs again. She is sighing a lot today. "Okay then. And the Akatsuki? You seem to have brought Itachi home and made Kisame defect from the organization. I'm not saying we're not grateful for it but Akatsuki poses a threat only to the Jinchuuriki. Why give it to us now? Taking it straight to Suna would be better, wouldn't it?"

Yuurei glances first at Temari before answering. "Konoha is Suna's ally. Suna would find out one way or the other.

"However," He continues when Temari opens her mouth to undoubtedly complain about this logic. "I have already contacted the Kazekage."

Temari closes her mouth again in surprise before spluttering, "You've _talked_ to Gaara?"

Yuurei inclines his head. "Only a week ago. I brought a peace offering."

He looks at Itachi now and an entire conversation seems to pass in the mere few seconds that their eyes meet. Itachi's Sharingan is activated this time but Naruto's mentor meets the Uchiha's gaze without hesitation and Itachi does not use the doujutsu.

"What peace offering?" Temari asks, looking from one to the other.

Itachi nods at Yuurei and even seems mildly impressed for half a heartbeat while the older blond offers a faint smile in Temari's direction. "I brought back Sasori for them."

Silence. There seems to be a lot of that today as well.

"You killed Akasuna no Sasori?" Kurenai voices faintly.

Yuurei frowns. "Who said anything about killing? I beat him up, true, and it took me quite a while to knock some sense into him, but I didn't kill him. Sasori's on village arrest as soon as the hopefully successful gate-crashing of the extraction site is over. Three years of probation, another two of monitored missions. After that, he'll be a fulltime Suna-nin again."

Temari is gaping. There is no other way to put it. Naruto has a shit-eating grin on his face. Seriously, Yuurei _has_ to teach him how he's converting all these would-be enemies. Then again, Naruto did do that for Zabuza and Haku so maybe he'll learn how to do it on a mass scale one day.

"Chiyo-sama must be over the moon to have her grandson back," She finally manages to say.

"Oh, that old bag?" Naruto smothers his laughter as Tsunade twitches. For a relatively quiet and, at first glance, polite person, Yuurei could be exceedingly rude, just like Naruto, who doesn't look polite or quiet whatsoever. "Yeah, apparently, I have her eternal gratitude."

Temari coughs but everyone in the room could hear the snicker behind it. "That's- That's good. So my brother is ready then?"

Yuurei nods. "Yes, he and Deidara are making a suitable clone right now. It's taking a while since none of the Akatsuki members can be missed until after the ambush."

...

"GODDAMNIT!" Tsunade pounds a fist against her desk. "Exactly how many Akatsuki members have you converted?! All of them? Why are we even _thinking_ about attacking them when you obviously have them all leashed?"

Itachi gains an offended air at this allegation but most of the room doesn't notice. Naruto only does because he is trying to observe everyone. The fascination on Shikaku and Inoichi's faces are near-overwhelming, and Naruto remembers one to be Konoha's head strategist and the other the head interrogator.

He glances at Shikamaru and finds similar interest on his friend's face as well.

"Of course not," Yuurei scoffs. "I'm not a miracle worker."

"Per se," Jiraiya mutters under his breath.

"Kisame, Sasori, and Deidara, who's still on the fence about becoming a Suna-nin but definitely wants to quit Akatsuki," Yuurei ticks off. "Also Hidan. They will back us up if and when you carry out the ambush."

"Hidan?" Even Itachi looks somewhat surprised.

Yuurei's lips thin. "He caught a glimpse of me just as I was leaving the bar that I had been meeting Kakuzu in. We fought. I won. He has refused to leave me alone ever since. The only reason he isn't here is because Kakuzu's dragged him back to the Akatsuki base."

"Kakuzu's on our side too?" Asuma enquires, sounding a lot calmer than most of his peers.

"No," Yuurei frowns. "We could not come to an agreement. But I have paid him enough so that he will keep quiet about our knowledge of their plans, just this once, and he'll probably stay out of the battle as much as possible when the time comes."

"And he'll keep his word?" Tsume looks skeptical.

"There is only one thing Kakuzu honours," Yuurei says flatly. "Money. I have paid. He will hold up his end of the bargain."

"So that leaves two members for us to fight, excluding Kakuzu," Shikaku says. His gaze remains fixed on Yuurei. "Will that be a problem?"

"Zetsu is powerful in his own right," Yuurei says, expression tight. "And he's loyal to Akatsuki's cause – too loyal. I didn't even bother approaching him. It would only have leaked everything back to the leader. As for the woman... well, her circumstances are complicated. I am still working on it."

The vague words are accompanied by a careless glance at Jiraiya that only Naruto understands.

"So this attack is mainly to kill off the remaining members of the Akatsuki," Shikamaru continues bluntly. "Leaving the leader with no arms, so to speak."

Yuurei smiles in a satisfied way and there was a puzzling amount of familiarity in his features when he looks at Shikamaru. Naruto would've thought they knew each other if Shikamaru doesn't look mildly puzzled, no doubt seeing what Naruto is seeing. The expression is gone again in the blink of an eye though, leaving Naruto uncertain as to whether or not he had seen it.

"Exactly," Yuurei turns back to Tsunade. "Everything has been set up. Will Konoha go through with it and aid Suna in the ambush?"

Tsunade's eyes narrow once more and she peers at Yuurei over steepled fingers. "If I say no?"

Temari stiffens but doesn't say anything to cut off the Hokage.

"Will you take back the seal you gave us and turn the Akatsuki members you've managed to win over against us?"

Jiraiya instantly shoots Tsunade a warning look and Naruto glares at the old hag for all he's worth but Yuurei's expression only closes off, and when he speaks, his tone is cold. "This village is the closest thing I have to a home. I will not work to destroy it. If you say no? Then I will simply move on to Plan B."

"Plan B?" Tsunade arches an eyebrow, gaze never wavering.

"Assassination," Yuurei clarifies curtly. "I will kill the rest myself."

"With assistance from myself and the other former members of the Akatsuki," Itachi interjects calmly, and Yuurei shoots him a small smile. For a moment, Naruto thinks they almost look like friends.

"And you can't do this anyway because...?" Tsuande prompts.

Yuurei shrugs. "It would take much longer to track down all the clones Zetsu might or might not have left across the continent. He must be there in person for the extraction so it would be your best bet. And as I said, the woman is complicated."

He pauses, and then adds absently, "And I don't like assassination. It's too troublesome."

A snicker, cut off almost immediately, comes from Naruto's right and he finds an amused Shikamaru standing with his team. Shikaku looks much the same.

Tsunade snorts and rolls her eyes. "Fine. Just so you know, you're full of cryptic shit, Namikaze. What will you do now? I suppose I could grant you a temporary pass into our village in the meantime, although you just might give half of Konoha heart-attacks when they see you."

Yuurei, predictably, shakes his head, and then glances at Itachi who glides forward to stand beside him. "No thanks. I have other things to do."

Tsunade frowns. "Do you want payment? None of this would be possible without your help."

Yuurei tilts his head. "There is one thing I want in return."

Most of the room becomes apprehensive again. Tsunade ticks an eyebrow. "And that is?"

Yuurei's eyes burn, the blue darkening with cold fire. "Don't you dare fail."

And then, with a nod at Jiraiya and a soft look at Naruto, he and Itachi disappear, leaving no trace behind.

It is Tsume who speaks up first after they leave. "What a weird guy. I couldn't pick up his scent at all."

Kiba nods in agreement but Naruto has no idea what they're talking about. The few times he's channelled the Kyuubi's chakra and further heightened his senses, Yuurei always smells like sunshine after a Spring shower and whatever tea the man has recently drank.

**XXV.**

The next two weeks are spent putting together a delegation to send to Suna behind Danzou and the Council's backs, but Naruto doesn't have much to do with this.

Instead, three days after the meeting, he is accosted by Gekkou Hayate in Ichiraku Ramen. At first, Naruto is more than a little confused because he has never so much as said hi to the man, but then the Jounin starts speaking and Naruto understands.

"I'd like to thank your sensei," Hayate says carefully as he digs into his own meal. The man doesn't look sick at all anymore and Naruto suspects Tsunade's work. "Namikaze-san saved me that day, and he didn't have to just to get word to the Hokage. Do you know when he'll be back?"

Naruto scratches his cheek before shaking his head. "Nope, sorry. He comes and goes, but, if you want, I'll drag him over to the Jounin Station the next time he comes."

Hayate looks a little disappointed but nods and thanks him, paying for both their lunches before going back to work.

Naruto shrugs the encounter off and heads to the nearest training grounds to get in some practice.

**XXVI.**

Two days after that, Anko tracks him down – at his _apartment_ – and breaks in instead of knocking like any other relatively normal person. It's just Naruto's luck that he's coming out of the shower when Anko barges her way in.

Naruto releases a manly shriek and fumbles for his kunai – _fuck_, he should really rig his apartment again sometime soon – with one hand while the other scrambles frantically for a towel.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Naruto bawls her out after chucking a handful of shuriken at the woman – all of which she dodges – and securing the towel around his waist. "YOU'RE WORSE THAN ERO-SENNIN, YOU PERVERT! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LOOK AT A MAN'S PRIVATES WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION!"

Anko snorts and makes a great show of looking around. "Well, I'll keep that in mind when I come across any naked _men_."

Naruto's face flames red and he half-shoves, half-hurls a whole lot of weapons and toiletries at her to chase her out of the tiny bathroom. The woman just cackles as she complies.

Two minutes later, he's dressed and standing in his kitchen, glowering darkly at his unwelcome visitor. Seriously, they weren't even _acquaintances_. The snake lady had just been one of the proctors during his Chuunin Exam.

"What do you want?" He snaps touchily.

Anko just smirks at him. "Nothing from you, brat, don't worry. Just wondering when Namikaze's comin' home. Do you know?"

Naruto scowls at her – as if he would tell her even if he does – but his gaze instinctively flickers to her neck. Anko notices and, with a wide grin, pulls down the collar of her coat and half-turns to show him the unblemished skin at the back of her neck.

"Completely removed," Anko declares with so much evident glee and subtle relief even when in front of an almost-stranger that Naruto grudgingly forgives her for bursting into his home unannounced. "Jiraiya-sama did it three days ago and I'm already back on my feet. So do you know when your other sensei's gonna wander back into Konoha again? I'd like to treat him to some dango."

"No," Naruto grumps out. "He comes and goes whenever he wants. But I'll bring him to the Jounin Station the next time he stops by."

Anko wrinkles her nose and looks dissatisfied with this but they both know that it's the best she's going to get so she only huffs, adjusts her coat, and reaches out to pinch one of Naruto's cheeks just for kicks before leaping away out his window.

"BITCH!" Naruto hollers after her as he nurses his face. He so doesn't forgive her.

**XXVII.**

His third visitor comes the very next day and this one is much more familiar.

Naruto is practicing in the clearing he and Yuurei usually trains in and he's trying to cut the waterfall nearby with his shadow clones as his mentor has instructed and shown him several times before but it's slow-going, especially since he isn't technically supposed to do it without supervision. Then again, Ero-sennin is off doing his research again and Naruto doesn't feel like wheedling the man today. Jiraiya's gotten a bit better about separating his training and perving but he is far from being completely cured.

During a rare break though, Naruto recognizes the approaching chakra signature and he turns his head just as his first – second if he includes Iruka but Iruka's always been in a league of his own – sensei steps into the clearing.

It's been two-and-a-half years – he's older and just a bit more mature now – not to mention Naruto's never been one to hold grudges anyway so he bounds forward to greet Kakashi enthusiastically.

Kakashi eye-smiles at him, and if there's a small touch of awkwardness between them, neither of them mentions it.

"So, all grown up," Kakashi's hand rests on top of his head for a moment. "How was your trip?"

Naruto grins brightly and gives the man a thumbs-up. "Great! I learned lots! And I travelled all over the place! Could've gone without Ero-sennin's perving ways but you can't have everything."

Kakashi chuckles and Naruto takes a second to study the man. His former sensei's hair has always been silvery-grey so that isn't a very good indication as to how the past few years have treated him. Kakashi doesn't have any wrinkles either, though he is only twenty-nine or so.

His visible eye looks tired though, and while Kakashi has always slouched, Naruto doesn't like the extra edge of exhaustion in the line of the Jounin's shoulders.

"How many missions have you been going on, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto demands, reaching out to grab the man's arm and all but hauling him over to one of the boulders in the clearing before sitting him down. "You've been overworking yourself!"

Kakashi looks a little bemused but he allows Naruto to manhandle him onto the rock. "I hate to tell you this, Naruto, but you've turned into a bit of a mother-hen."

Naruto scoffs. "Course I haven't. But have you looked in a mirror lately? What is baa-chan _doing_? She should totally ban you from missions, at least for a while!"

Kakashi smiles behind his mask and his expression becomes rueful. "She already has. Started about a month ago. Apparently, I looked even worse then."

Naruto scowls at him. "Honestly, Sensei, you should take better care of yourself. Just 'cause Sakura-chan and I aren't running around underfoot distracting you doesn't mean you should work yourself to death."

Naruto pauses and the air between them thickens. He doesn't even have to mention Sasuke to know what the Jounin is thinking about.

"We'll get him back," Naruto says stoutly, hopping up onto another boulder. "You know we will, Sensei. I promised we would, so we will, and everything's a lot easier now that Itachi's come home. Sorta."

Kakashi doesn't say anything at first, just eyes him with thoughtful consideration. When he does speak, it's not about Sasuke.

"You know about your father now," Kakashi says at last. "Do you think I should have told you first?"

Naruto blinks at this non sequitur before shrugging noncommittally. He's gotten over it a long time ago. "Nah, Ero-sennin told me after I ambushed him with it. And it's not like I never had a clue who my dad was – it was kinda obvious. Yuurei-san's the one who told me about Ero-sennin being my godfather though."

Kakashi stills and Naruto abruptly realizes one of the main reasons the man has sought him out. He sighs in exasperation and maybe a little amusement.

"You wanna meet him too?" Naruto enquires bluntly. "You're gonna have to wait your turn. Hayate-san and the Snake-Bitch are ahead of you."

Kakashi sweatdrops. "'S- Snake-Bitch'?"

Naruto glowers. "Anko busted into my apartment and then straight into my bathroom _while I was coming out of the shower_! She's crazy!"

Kakashi huffs a laugh. "Anko does that – the woman has no sense of propriety whatsoever. ...They both want to see... umm..."

"You can just call him Yuurei," Naruto supplies. "And no, he's never said _how_ he's related to my old man."

Kakashi nods absently. "He's the one who trained you after you ditched Ebisu?"

Naruto grimaces. "No offense, Kakashi-sensei, but Ebisu can't track worth a damn. I lost him in less than twenty minutes, and then Yuurei-san was waiting back at my apartment. He told me to go find Ero-sennin and they both trained me for the third stage. It was mostly Yuurei-san though. I never had to use the fox's chakra in the match."

Kakashi nods again, gaze flitting over Naruto's head to the waterfall. "And you became Chuunin. The only one of my students. Although I suppose I can't exactly call any of you that anymore."

Naruto's brow scrunches and he swings out a leg to kick his sensei in the shin. Kakashi winces and glances back at him, surprised.

"Cut it out," Naruto growls. "You didn't teach me a lot but you did teach me some. I learned how to walk on trees from you. And what you said at the very beginning: those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash – I still believe in that and you were the one who taught me that."

Kakashi blinks at him and his mask shifts a little as he smiles again. "I don't think I've ever congratulated you for making Chuunin."

Naruto snorts and slides off the boulder. "Well, you can treat me to ramen when I make Jounin, and then you can throw a party for me when I make Hokage. Now I need to get back to my training. You can watch me. Yuurei-san will kick up a fuss if he finds out I've been doing this unsupervised."

Looking amused, Kakashi gets up as well and follows him back to the waterfall. The Jounin obligingly settles against a nearby tree and keeps an eye on him as Naruto flicks out dozens of clones once more.

**XXVIII.**

The plans are made and Team Kakashi, along with Temari and Team Gai, set out to Suna first. Team Asuma and Team Kurenai, along with a handful of other Chuunin and Jounin, would follow behind the moment Danzou and the Council looks the other way. None of them can afford Danzou getting suspicious or any word leaking back to Akatsuki's leader about the small Konoha army being cleared for battle.

Itachi has sent one last missive, notifying Tsunade that the defected Akatsuki would be waiting for them at the extraction site in the Land of Rivers and would attack upon their signal. Zetsu would be the main target – Tsunade had deemed the artificial human as the biggest threat. Gaara's clone, as both Gaara and Deidara assure (the latter being something that boggles Tsuande even now), will hold up to inspection until they get there.

Naruto is also a little worried – the feeling never goes away – about the fact that Yuurei hasn't returned. Logically, he knows that his mentor will most likely also take part in the raid but it doesn't stop Naruto from imagining a whole lot of things going wrong.

"Naruto," Sakura calls out as they leap from branch to branch. "Your, um, sensei – Namikaze-san; will he be joining us at the site or before that?"

Naruto flounders for a moment – he honestly has no idea – and then perks up when a familiar chakra signature swirls past him and pauses several feet ahead.

"He's here!" Naruto announces happily. Again, he is puzzled by the temporary confusion around him – why couldn't any of them sense his mentor? – but he's distracted soon enough when Yuurei materializes up ahead. As Ero-sennin had once remarked with some amazement, the older blond's Hiraishin takes up a larger area around the actual seal.

"Yuurei-san!" Naruto bounces ahead to join his mentor but his delight fades when he catches sight of the grim expression on Yuurei's face. "Is something wrong?"

"Kakuzu's dead," Yuurei starts brusquely as everyone pulls to a stop in around him. "Zetsu must have caught wind of him meeting with me. Either way, Zetsu knows that it's not the real Gaara that Deidara and Sasori brought back, so they've been labelled traitors as well. They were given a chance to redeem themselves by kidnapping the real Gaara but they refused and got word to Gaara instead. The ambush is ruined, the battle's started – you people need to pick up your pace."

Naruto gawks along with his more expressive teammates but it's Temari who jumps in first.

"Wait, so Gaara and Kankuro's already fighting?" Temari exclaims, voice tight with alarm.

"Yes," Yuurei nods tersely. "Along with a contingent of Suna-nins. The problem is the three hundred White Zetsu clones they're facing. We need to hurry. Gaara's already sent a messenger hawk to Tsunade. She should be dispatching the reinforcements right now."

Naruto's mouth clicks shut and he sets his jaw determinedly as they all surge forward, Yuurei taking the lead as they sprinted through the forested area as fast as they could.

**XXIX.**

"You fucking heathens! Jashin-sama disapproves of clones!"

Naruto rolls his eyes and then ducks as several points of a clone's flytrap opening attempts to stab him. Hastily forming a Rasengan, he rolls forward and thrusts the ball of chakra straight into its chest, grimacing as the thing semi-explodes.

Fighting alongside missing-nins, as Naruto has quickly found out, is very different from fighting alongside other Konoha-nins. For one, the ex-Akatsuki members fight wherever they want, not that there's much order to the free-for-all melee in the first place. But Itachi and Kisame are fighting together over by their corner while Sasori and Deidara are both ignoring everything their Suna-nin 'squad leader' is shouting at them (something Naruto really thinks that the squad leader should get a clue and shut up before the man got himself poisoned or blown up or both), preferring to argue with each other while slaughtering the clones instead.

Hidan is an entirely different matter. The Jashinist – and Naruto still isn't sure what exactly a Jashinist believes in – is spewing profanities, kicking ass, and flirting with an increasingly bad-tempered Temari at the same time.

"Naruto, four o'clock," Kakashi calls out as he speeds past with a Raikiri crackling in one hand and skewers three clones in one go.

Naruto whirls and lashes out with an upward kick that makes the clone stagger before finishing it off with another Rasengan.

At the far end of what used to be a cave but now looks more like a valley of sorts, Gaara's sand is crushing clones left and right while Temari is fighting behind him and trying to ignore Hidan's advances, and Kankuro is fighting beside her and snickering at his sister's dilemma.

If, in a bizarre turnabout, Temari actually deigns to go out with the crazy mass-murderer (because apparently, she and Shikamaru _aren't_ dating), Naruto wonders if Kankuro will still be laughing then. Gaara would... well, Naruto isn't exactly sure what Gaara would do. There'd probably be a lot of sand and destruction and blood involved though.

Spread across the makeshift battlefield, Konoha-nins and Suna-nins are duking it out with the infuriatingly hard-to-kill White Zetsu clones. Naruto has personally seen Sakura send one flying into a wall and smash another one into the ground and the bastards are _still_ getting up.

Yuurei is nowhere to be seen though. Last Naruto has heard, his mentor has gone on ahead after the real Zetsu, who made his escape right after reinforcements appeared, and Team Asuma and the older generation of the Ino-Shika-Chou formation have followed him.

Naruto knows that Yuurei is strong – he is mostly convinced that his mentor can match Jiraiya if not surpass him – and is on the level of a kage but Naruto is protective of those he cares about and he doesn't like the fact that Yuurei is currently pursuing or even fighting someone even stronger than these clones who, short of being impaled with a crapload of chakra and or massacred with sheer brutal force, _just refuse to die_.

He twists under two more Venus flytrap thingies and gets his shadow clones to hold them down before gutting them with a Twin Rasengan.

They explode as he straightens and looks around at the chaos.

It's gonna be a long day.

**XXX.**

They've won – sort of; they kicked a lot of clone ass – and the entire Konoha delegation is invited into Suna for rest and recuperation.

It only takes Naruto a few minutes to track down his mentor because, no matter where he turns, every other sentence is: _The Yellow Flash. It's the Yellow Flash. The Yellow Flash is back._

Naruto scoffs. So it isn't only Konoha's people who're blind – well that's a relief; at least all villages are equally dumb. Either they can't seem to connect Naruto with the Yondaime or they mistake someone who is clearly several shades darker in skin colour, has no Konoha headband, and is very much _alive_ for that same dead man.

He follows the whispers and murmurs and pointed fingers down several hallways and he finally catches sight of the strangest thing he has seen in a good long while.

Well, not strange, as such. For example, nobody else – who doesn't mistake his mentor for Minato – who sees Yuurei sitting across from Shikamaru with a shogi board between them and Shikaku sitting on the side with what looks like a map of the entire continent spread out on the table would give the scene more than a cursory glance.

But for Naruto, who has gotten used to seeing Yuurei interact with no one save himself and Jiraiya, it comes as a shock.

Once upon a time, Yuurei was _his_ secret and his secret alone. Now, two different villages and a recently disbanded criminal organization know this man.

It doesn't really surprise Naruto when a rush of jealousy wells up in his chest but it probably would've been a lot worse three years ago.

Besides...

Yuurei abruptly breaks off in the middle of whatever conversation he is having with Shikaku and turns, his gaze automatically finding Naruto like a homing beacon even with all the bustling activity around them, and the jealousy eases when Naruto is immediately greeted with a warm smile.

Naruto grins back and saunters over, already checking his mentor for injuries. "Hey, Yuurei-san! You didn't get hurt, did you?"

One hand comes up to ruffle his hair – the habit started when Naruto was twelve; Yuurei never did break it – as Yuurei arches an almost arrogant eyebrow. "Who do you think you're talking to, brat? Of course I didn't. What about you?"

Naruto crosses his arms and stuck out his chest. "Course not! Who do you think _you're_ talking to?"

Yuurei smiles rather dryly. "A trouble magnet who throws himself headfirst into any battle without thinking first?"

Naruto almost falls over, and then recovers and makes a face at his mentor. "I do not! I think about a lot of things!"

"Yeah," Yuurei mutters teasingly. "About ramen, ramen, and... oh yes, more ramen."

Naruto valiantly attempts a glare but his face betrays him and he ends up snorting with amusement instead.

His gaze slides to the left and finds Shikamaru still very much intent on the shogi board. On the other hand, Shikamaru's old man is watching them with a bemused sort of curiosity, chin propped in his hands as he surveys them.

Naruto dips his head in a polite greeting – he's not known for following protocol but this _is_ one of his friends' father and a clan head to boot – that Shikaku returns with a slight smile and a nod. Glancing down at Shikamaru, he says in a stage-whisper, "Why is Shikamaru so into the game?"

Yuurei chuckles but Shikamaru shoots him a dirty look before shifting one of the pieces – a knight; being friends with a Nara usually means learning how to play shogi sooner or later, and Shikamaru taught him, Kiba, and Chouji back in the Academy. Naruto isn't terrific but he isn't the worst either. That honour goes to Kiba.

He watches as his mentor turns back to face the board, head tilting in thought for all of five seconds before reaching out and moving a gold general. Shikamaru's eyes narrow before he moves a lance to capture said general. Yuurei shifts a silver general this time and Shikamaru captures that with a rook.

Naruto scratches his head, glancing at Yuurei's expression. His mentor is still the picture of serenity. He looks over at Shikaku and notes that the man is smirking ever-so-slightly.

Another bishop is moved and captured, several pawns meander across the board, and then, two heartbeats later, Naruto _sees_ it. Shikamaru does too, several seconds before Naruto, because the Nara heir has already straightened abruptly and his eyes are wide.

Yuurei's mouth tilts up into a small smirk that matches Shikaku's before he picks up his remaining silver general and moves it forward and to the left. "Checkmate. Better luck next time, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru comes very close to gaping. He opens his mouth and then closes it again when nothing comes out. When a snicker slips out of Naruto's mouth, his friend's head snaps up and Naruto finds himself on the receiving end of a blistering glare that only serves to make him cackle.

"It's alright, Shikamaru," Naruto soothes though he can't help grinning. "Keep practicing. I'm sure you'll beat Yuurei-san one day."

Shikamaru mutters something undoubtedly insulting under his breath before settling back with a sigh. "How troublesome. Where'd you learn to play, Yuurei-san?"

Yuurei's smile fades a little but his voice remains light as he replies, "Here and there. I knew two really great shogi players and they taught me whenever we had some spare time. I used to get my ass kicked until I got good enough to give them a run for their money. Lucky for me, I learn fast."

Shikamaru's eyes light up when Yuurei mentions knowing two great shogi players but Naruto sees Shikaku's leg shift and a subtle wince from the man's son, and he guesses that Shikamaru's just been urged into silence.

If Yuurei notices, he doesn't say. Instead, his mentor leans back over to where the map is and traces a path out of Wind Country and to the west, past Fire Country and straight into Rain.

Shikaku's eyes have sharpened once more and the humour fades from his features as they concentrate on work again.

"Here?" The Jounin Commander murmurs, seemingly indifferent to the fact that both Shikamaru and Naruto are right there.

Yuurei nods, and then, after a moment's hesitation, says quietly, "If your Hokage decides to send someone to check it out, my advice is to send someone other than Jiraiya. Someone strong, of course, but someone else."

Shikaku raises an eyebrow in silent question.

Yuurei only shrugs and rises to his feet. "Let's just say he'll be emotionally compromised."

Shikaku inclines his head in acknowledgement before rolling up the map, and seeing that the impromptu meeting is over, Naruto hastily interjects, "So what happened with Zetsu?"

Both Naras look over at Yuurei again, who shrugs once more. "White Zetsu's dead, Black Zetsu's been, incapacitated, sealed, and destroyed, so, also dead. Konan got away though."

"We weren't actually trying to catch her in the first place," Shikamaru says offhandedly.

"Who took care of who?" Naruto prods, eager for the details.

"They got White Zetsu," Yuurei says, nodding at the Naras while waving a hand in the general direction of the hallway behind them, most likely referring to the rest of the shinobi who had accompanied him. "I got Black Zetsu."

For all that Yuurei has been Naruto's constant companion for the past three years, Naruto has never actually _seen_ Yuurei fight full-out against an enemy in an actual battle. "How'd you get him?"

Yuurei sighs but it's Shikamaru who reveals with an edge of lazy admiration, "Skewered him with a... what'd you call it? A Rasenshuriken?"

Yuurei nods and Naruto is pretty sure there are stars in his own eyes. "That's the awesome move you're teaching me! Why do they get to see it but I don't?"

Yuurei rolls his eyes. "You'll see it when you can pull it off."

Naruto sulks. "That's not fair!"

Yuurei snorts. "Life's not fair, kiddo. Get used to it."

Naruto scowls grumpily at his mentor. "I'm _not_ a kid. How long are you gonna call me that?"

Yuurei laughs. "When you stop acting like one. Now, I should get going."

Even Shikaku glances up sharply at this. "You're leaving?"

Yuurei's expression becomes impassive once more, as it had been in Tsunade's office. "Yes, my job here is done. Now I have other things to do."

A frown mars the Jounin Commander's brow. "Is it that urgent? I'm sure Tsunade-sama would like to speak to you first. And you've proven your worth – my son and I would vouch for it, not to mention the others who saw you fight. I'm sure the Hokage wouldn't take much convincing to give you a place in Konoha."

Naruto brightens up at this suggestion but Yuurei's mouth twists downwards into something more bitter even as he shakes his head. "I'm afraid that's not on my agenda, Shikaku-san."

Shikaku cocks his head, eyes calculating. "Then what is?"

"Next?" Yuurei offers a placid smile. "Well, for now, unless something really bad happens, I'll be leaving the remaining Akatsuki to your village. As for me, I'm off to Otogakure."

Naruto feels his blood freeze. Beside him, Shikamaru jerks a little in his seat and Shikaku stiffens apprehensively.

"You're gonna take down Orochimaru?" Naruto blurts out in a hushed voice.

Yuurei's smile turns grim as he pulls on his cloak. "That was always the plan. Akatsuki, then Orochimaru, and then..."

He trails off and his gaze becomes distant and dark. And despite the almost tangible tension in the air, nobody interrupts.

Yuurei shakes his head and focuses back on the present. "I'll be in touch. Naruto, you're working with Kakashi now, yes?"

Naruto falters for a moment at the sudden change of topic. "I- Yeah, kinda, he's overseeing my training. He seems to know what I'm trying to do."

Yuurei nods briskly. "He should. Between him and Jiraiya, I expect a completed Rasenshuriken by the time I come back, understand?"

Naruto nods earnestly. "Yeah, of course! But- But you're really just gonna walk right into Sound-"

"Not quite as direct as that," Yuurei denies. His gaze briefly slants over to Shikamaru before returning to Naruto. "If you have time, find Asuma and ask him for a spar. It'll do you good to fight someone with the same weapons you have."

He steps away from the table and Naruto chokes back the disappointment he feels. Who knows when he'll see his mentor again.

"OUTTA MY WAY, YOU GODLESS HEATHENS! FUCKING GHOST! YOU'RE NOT LEAVING WITHOUT ME AGAIN!"

Naruto turns just in time to see Hidan barrelling down the hallway towards them. Instinctively, he, along with both Shikamaru and Shikaku, all simultaneously reach for their weapons. Yuurei is the only one who closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose as if the rampaging S-class missing-nin is nothing but an annoyance.

"Hidan, shut up," Yuurei barks as the Jashinist punts a Suna medic-nin out of the way and straight into a wall. "And for heaven's sake, would it kill you to go _around_ the people you want to walk past?"

Hidan only smirks unrepentantly as he comes to a stop in front of Yuurei. "They were in my way. You should be grateful I didn't kill them. Now when are we blowing this fucked-up carnival joint? I swear I've got sand in places I didn't even know I had."

Yuurei sighs and momentarily turns back to Naruto and the two Naras. "Shikaku-san, would you pass on something to Tsuande and Jiraiya?"

Shikaku glances between Yuurei and Hidan for a moment before nodding in acquiescence.

"Pain is Nagato," Yuurei relays, and Naruto isn't the only one who looks confused. "They'll understand."

Shikaku nods again, slowly. "Alright, I'll pass it on. You sure you don't want to come back first?"

Yuurei nods. "I'm sure. I'll see you guys around. Naruto, train hard, and keep an eye on Ero-sennin. Kakashi too for that matter. They're both useless enough in everyday activities to need looking after."

Naruto snorts but nods anyway. "Right. But you be careful, okay? I don't want baa-chan sending me out on a mission to rescue you."

Yuurei grins and claps him on the shoulder before turning for the nearest door. "You're ten years too early to even think about rescuing me, Naruto."

Naruto waves his mentor off and watches as Yuurei, with Hidan flanking his left, is joined by the familiar figures of Itachi and Kisame a moment later, both of them on the older blond's right.

"What a dangerous man you've found, Naruto-kun," Shikaku remarks from behind him.

Naruto turns around, blinking in mild bewilderment.

Shikaku's hands are busy folding up the map and tucking it away but his eyes are intent on Naruto's. Shikamaru has his head tilted back, gaze still locked in the direction Yuurei has disappeared in.

"In a matter of months," Shikaku explains calmly. "Your mentor's turned an entire criminal organization on its head, and not just that either. He's managed to make five of the nine Akatsuki members turn their backs on something they've pledged their lives to, and none of them seem at all resentful about it. Three of them clearly follow him now. To gain such loyalty is no small feat. He's a powerful man, your ghost."

Shikaku gets to his feet, only pausing to add, "Your father was much the same. His charisma was a sight to behold. His strength was something we all trusted in."

Naruto watches the Nara Head leave, a little stunned as the enormity of what Yuurei has achieved finally sinks in.

"You have that too, you know," Shikamaru says to the ceiling. "You just haven't grown into it yet. That's what Tou-san's trying to say."

Naruto splutters. "Sh- Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru sits upright again, although he's still slouching as he begins resetting the shogi board. "We spent two-and-a-half years training are asses off – all of us and Team Gai – knowing you were doing the same. You weren't the only one who made a promise that day. You're just the one who'll be leading us."

Naruto's jaw hangs open and he can feel his face heat up in embarrassment. He has no idea where this is coming from. Shikamaru is usually content to let things reveal themselves without saying much. Has the Nara heir seen something in Yuurei during their battle against Zetsu? "Wh- What do you mean?"

Shikamaru doesn't elaborate more than, "Before you left, you turned even Neji and Gaara."

Naruto hasn't a clue what this means either but before he can press for more information, Shikamaru taps the shogi board. "Wanna play?"

Naruto wants to say no but he finds himself sitting down anyway and muddling his way through four games in the next few hours (he loses all of them).

Shikamaru doesn't say anything even though Naruto must really suck. Instead, there's a thoughtful gleam in the Nara's eyes that tells Naruto that Shikamaru might just have figured out something important and life-changing.

It kinda makes Naruto nervous when that look is directed straight at him.

**XXXI.**

The next time Naruto sees Yuurei is several months and missions later. The next time is in Konoha. Most of all, the next time is also the worst.

Tsunade-baa-chan has been banging on for several weeks now about how Jiraiya has left the village at a time like this when Danzou's been nosing around and trying to figure out what she's up to and who this 'Second Coming of the Yellow Flash' is (frankly, Naruto thinks the general populace is pretty damn unoriginal).

Everyone in the know has kept their mouths shut about Itachi's not-so-traitorous self but there's no hiding the collapse of a previously rising, internationally-known, criminal organization, nor the fact that two of the members are now Suna-nins (Iwagakure's been throwing a hissy fit about Suna snagging Deidara for itself but they don't quite dare go to war over one of their missing-nins being under the Kazekage's protection – not worth it, according to a rather smug-sounding Gaara), and another three have dropped off the radar altogether.

Danzou's especially hopping mad about the fact that Itachi is one of those misplaced. Apparently, it's never a good idea to misplace Uchiha Itachi.

Fortunately, Naruto doesn't have to deal with those headaches since Tsunade's booted him, along with his team which includes Sakura, Yamato (because Kakashi was injured and also technically off the mission roster short of another Akatsuki faceoff or the apocalypse), and Sai (whom they all know is a Danzou mole) out of the village almost right after they return from Suna.

They're sent after Sasuke on Sasori's information, and they even find him, but they lose him again in the end. Naruto also manages to convert Sai in the middle of all that mess, and if it isn't for the seal on the teen's tongue, he would've spilled everything about Itachi to Sasuke, whether or not (most likely not) his renegade teammate believes him.

They return to Konoha soon enough and Sai is made a permanent member of Team Kakashi. Some, like Ino, thinks Sai is Sasuke's replacement, but Naruto doesn't think this at all because Sai is nothing like Sasuke, and one can't replace the other in anything. So Team Seven hasn't been stuck with a substitute – it's just been... expanded to include one more, two if Yamato counts.

They go out on a few more missions and, sometimes, to Naruto, it feels like half the village is waiting in the shadows for Yuurei's return. Every time Naruto walks into the Hokage's office, he never leaves without baa-chan asking him at least once if Yuurei's stopped by. Asuma enquires about it during one of their spars. Anko accosts him on his way home and demands to know where his mentor is. Hayate's too polite to push but Naruto knows that the man is waiting too. Kakashi asks about him once or twice but leaves it alone without too many questions.

And even jiji questions Naruto about Yuurei when he goes around to the old man's house for a visit.

It's not annoying – Naruto's glad that there's more than one person out there who gets the sense of _he's one of us_ when it comes to Yuurei and Konoha – but it also makes Naruto antsy because the last time Yuurei disappeared for over four months, he came back with a bloodied arm.

It's been over five months now, almost six. It doesn't help that Naruto hasn't even seen Jiraiya in a while since the man skipped town a month ago.

And then, one day, while Naruto is eating dinner, there's a knock on his door. He almost jumps out of his skin when he opens it and finds three missing-nins decked in grey cloaks standing on the other side, Kisame's head somewhere above his doorway. Baa-chan seriously needs to do some major overhauling of all the border patrols in a big way if it is _this_ easy to sneak into Konoha.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Naruto hisses as he ushers them in – on hindsight, nobody sane would've allowed three missing-nins into their home, even if they are sort of reformed, but Naruto's never been completely sensible anyway. "And where's Yuurei-san?"

"You live in a dump, runt," Hidan grumbles as he sprawls onto Naruto's beat-up sofa, kicking up his feet. "Now be a good little host and fetch me some alcohol."

Naruto grits his teeth and counts backwards from fifty. He gets to forty-five before he tells Hidan that he can go screw himself. Itachi doesn't say anything as he occupies a piece of Naruto's wall so Kisame is left to pick up the slack.

"We separated over two weeks ago," Kisame reveals plainly. "We've been spying on Orochimaru and sabotaging his experiments for the past few months."

"_I_ wanted to fuck him up right then and there – maybe raze Sound to the ground while we're at it – but Yuurei's a dick and wouldn't let me! Jashin-sama was pissed!" Hidan interrupts with a complaint. "All our problems would've been solved!"

Naruto reminds himself that Yuurei would probably be rather unhappy if he sticks Hidan with a kunai. Then again, isn't Hidan immortal?

"Hidan, shut up," Kisame orders. "You know killing Orochimaru wouldn't mean much when he'd just transfer into another body."

"Then we fuck that up too!"

"Then he'd just jump again," Kisame says patiently. "He's got backup bodies lined up like a morgue. Ever since Yuurei stopped his reincarnation jutsu, he's even more paranoid than when he was still a part of Akatsuki."

The shark-man finally turns back to Naruto. "Anyway, two weeks ago, Yuurei comes down for breakfast-"

"'Comes down for breakfast'?" Naruto echoes. "What, do you people play house in between staking out the snake bastard?"

"No, we were staying in an inn, now stop interrupting," Kisame says, much less patiently this time as if Hidan has used up all of it. "So he comes down for breakfast one morning and ups and tells us that he has to leave, that something bad might happen soon. That's the last we saw of him."

"And you didn't think to go _with_ him?" Naruto demands.

"He told us to fucking stay!" Hidan snaps before Kisame can answer, and shockingly enough, Naruto thinks he might've just heard the tiniest note of concern in the mass-murderer's voice. "_I_ wanted to go 'cause whatever he was gonna do has _got_ to have been more interesting than spying on that creepy asshole, but he said he could handle it and he'd meet us in Yugakure in two weeks. I hate that damn village – full of wrinkly old fucks who don't have a life besides soaking in hot springs all day – but we went and he wasn't there. That was three days ago. Fucking liar if I've ever seen one."

This earned pointed looks from everyone in the room, even Naruto, because there's no way Hidan's never lied before.

Hidan somehow draws himself up even in his horizontal position. "Hey, I'll have you know Jashin-sama disapproves of liars. I don't lie, seriously."

Naruto snorts but he's got bigger worries on his mind and doesn't bother shooting something back. "So you decided to come to Konoha?"

"It was better than running all over the place trying to find him," Kisame says with a shrug. "I don't know about you but not even Itachi over here can track him. We thought maybe something had happened in Konoha and Yuurei decided to make a detour back to his home before joining up with us."

Naruto spares a moment to savour the last bit because it's pretty much a done deal if even missing-nins consider Yuurei's affiliation to be with Konoha.

"Well he's not here," Naruto says bluntly. "I haven't seen him since you all left Suna."

"Well has anything gone down recently?" Hidan swings his scythe into the air. "Anyone needing their dick chopped off? How 'bout that Danzou guy? Typical of you fucking hippy Konoha-nins letting an old man push you around."

"Have you received word from Rei-san?" Itachi cuts in smoothly at last before tensions could rise any further.

Naruto blinks. 'Rei-san'? _Really_? _Itachi_ calls his mentor that?

"Er, no," Naruto stammers out. "Nothing. And the only interesting thing that's happened in the past few months is... well, we saw your brother but he still has a stick up his ass. Danzou's been sniffing around instead of minding his own business, although I suppose he thinks sniffing around _is_ his business. Oh, Ero-sennin took off to who-knows-where a month ago. Baa-chan's been screaming for his head for weeks."

"So basically, there's absolutely fuck-all happening," Hidan summarised before swinging his legs off the couch and rising to his feet. "Well this was a fucking waste of time."

"Not necessarily," Itachi objects, and Naruto finds himself pinned with onyx black eyes. "The Toad Sage is not in the village?"

Naruto slowly shakes his head. "Uh, no. Like I said, he left a month ago. Come to think of it, Tsunade-baa-chan has been a little more violent lately. She usually just rants for a while whenever Ero-sennin goes off and does something on his own before leaving him to it."

"Has anyone said anything else?" Itachi presses.

Naruto frowns in deep thought, wracking his brain for anything that might help.

"Oh!" Naruto perks up. "This was months ago, back in Suna, but Yuurei-san asked Shikaku-san to tell baa-chan and Ero-sennin... uh... what was it? Oh yeah, 'Pain is Nagato'. That was the message."

"Oh right," Hidan nods in agreement. "He did say something like that- ow!"

Kisame has slapped him upside the head and is now glaring at the Jashinist. "You moron! You were there? And you couldn't have mentioned this sooner?"

Hidan rubs his head, glowering right back. "Keep your gills on, Fishy! So our ex-boss has another name – what of it?"

Kisame sighs disparagingly. "Pain is- _was_ our boss, but before that, he went by Nagato. I did a bit of research after I found out that Konan used to be old gramps' student. Turns out – so is Pain, or Nagato as he used to go by."

"Damn, _two_ criminals?" Hidan scoffs. "Not a very good record, is it?"

"Shut up, bastard!" Naruto says hotly, pacing his apartment. "So, what? You think Ero-sennin's gone after this Nagato guy? And Yuurei-san's gone after him?"

"Makes sense," Kisame says rationally. "Yuurei actually cares about that old man, right? And we were in Sound so it'd probably take even the damn ghost at least a week or so to track someone down in Rain."

Naruto heaves a sigh and rubs a hand over his face. "Well, I'll ask baa-chan tomorrow if she could send me on a mission over there. She'll probably agree if I make sure I take at least Kakashi-sensei and Sai with me. And Sakura, just in case we need a medic. Maybe Yamato too. There's no such thing as overkill."

He turns back to his uninvited houseguests and cautiously extends an invitation for them to stay. "Just don't destroy _anything_, or you're paying for it."

Hidan snorts and flops back down on the couch. "Letting a bunch of missing-nins crash at your place – typical Konoha-nin. No wonder other villages try to get one over you every fucking month."

Naruto rolls his eyes and goes to get extra blankets and pillows. At least none of them have tried to steal his bed yet.

**XXXII.**

"You're telling me there are three S-class missing-nins living it up in your apartment right now?"

Naruto huffs in irritation. "Yeah, _and_ Ero-sennin and Yuurei-san might be in trouble. Let's concentrate on the important part here, baa-chan!"

Tsunade facepalms as Kakashi reads his book on the side, Yamato sighs, and Sai smiles candidly at him. "Even after all these months, your priorities amaze me, Dickless."

Naruto glowers at his newest teammate's voice. He doesn't even care about the nickname anymore.

"Okay, putting aside the fact that you didn't _report_ this the moment they arrived," Tsuande interjects loudly. "Will they be going with you if I do send you to Rain Country? I won't have them wandering around inside Konoha without a babysitter, though God knows you need one yourself."

Naruto throws her a sullen look this time but nods. "Yeah, they'll come. They only came around my place to see if I've heard anything from Yuurei-san."

Tsunade sighs and Naruto catches her glancing at the bookshelf where she kept her secret stash of alcohol.

"Alright," Tsunade nods, reaching for a scroll. "I was thinking about sending someone after that idiot anyway. I mean I specifically _ordered_ him not to go, damn it. Sakura's working her hospital shift at the moment though so you'll have to leave tomo-"

A flurry of movement sounds outside the door and everyone in the office only have time to turn and look before it burst open and a harried Shizune burst in.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune gasps out. "You're needed at the hospital! Jiraiya-sama-!"

"Jiraiya's injured?!" Tsuande barks, shooting to her feet.

Shizune shakes her head frantically and her gaze automatically slides to Naruto. Naruto's blood runs cold – he knows that look.

"No," Shizune bites her lip, features crumpling with anxiety. "Jiraiya-sama came in carrying- carrying Yuurei-san. He's the one injured. Badly. He's lost a lot of blood. Sakura's doing everything she can but-"

Tsunade's obviously heard enough because she Shunshins out of the room without wasting another second, and Shizune dashes out of the room after her.

Naruto barely registers this. Blood roars in his ears and, somehow, he feels like he can't breathe.

Yuurei, his mentor, is one of the strongest people he knows. How is it possible that he could be... _dying_ right now? The man had come out of a fight against the real Zetsu without so much as a scratch!

"Naruto," A hand drops on his shoulders and he sucks in a much-needed breath as he turns to look up at Kakashi.

"He'll be alright," Kakashi's voice is calm and his eyes are steady. "I know Namikazes, Naruto. Above all else, they're fighters."

Naruto nods shakily and staggers towards the door. He needs to get to the hospital.

**XXXIII.**

The floor of the waiting room outside one of the ERs is painted crimson. There are several nurses hurrying around trying to scrub it out but Naruto's nose picks up the coppery tang and he almost gags. He doesn't have a problem with blood but this is _Yuurei's_ blood.

He spots Jiraiya almost immediately. The Sannin is dressed in his usual attire but his clothes are stained red as well, his hair is dusty from constant travel, and he looks exhausted. Exhausted, and guilty.

"What happened?" Naruto asks quietly as soon as he reaches the man. His team trails behind him. He catches a glimpse of Kakashi eyeing the blood with a reflective glint in his eyes and knows that the man is probably calculating how much blood Yuurei has lost.

Jiraiya glances up, brow furrowed. There are rips in his clothes and several gashes could be seen. His left arm hangs limply at his side as well but nothing looks critical.

"...I went after Na- Pain," Jiraiya explains wearily.

"I know Pain is Nagato," Naruto says, ignoring the faint stir of surprise on his sensei's face. "You went after your old student by yourself. Then what?"

Jiraiya grimaces and glances briefly at the doors leading to the surgery room. "I tried to talk to him. He didn't listen. We fought. Apparently, he has six extra bodies to do his bidding. But even then, I couldn't..." The Toad Sage clears his throat. "I couldn't. I killed two of them, but one of the other ones severed the tendons in my left arm and the rest came at me at the same time with a bunch of chakra disruption blades. That was when Yuurei got there. Deflected two of them, destroyed another two plus their wielders, but the last..."

Jiraiya trails off and tilts his head at the ER doors. "He took the last straight through his chest. Missed his heart but he was bleeding out. Still had the presence of mind to get the both of us out of there with his Hiraishin. Must've planted a seal nearby – I didn't check. He lost consciousness right after so I bandaged him up and got him home as fast as I could-"

Naruto doesn't even know he has thrown a punch until Jiraiya is sprawled on the ground and Kakashi and Yamato are restraining him.

"You bastard!" Naruto screams, straining against the hands holding him back even as his sight blurs with frustrated tears. "Baa-chan ordered you not to go! Why didn't you just _stay put_?! You could've at least taken me with you! If he dies, I'll never forgive you!"

If panic and fear aren't gripping his mind, Naruto would've noticed the fact that Jiraiya doesn't say anything to defend himself, doesn't even get up off the floor. But he can't get past the knowledge that Yuurei wouldn't be fighting for his life right now if Jiraiya had only stayed away as Tsunade told him to. Can't forget the fact that Sakura can handle most medical emergencies by herself now because she's a _brilliant_ medic, but _Tsunade_, the greatest medic-nin of all time, has had to be called in.

Because Yuurei is _family_. Naruto's got lots of friends that he loves like family but Yuurei is _blood_ family, his only family left in the world, and Naruto can't bear to lose that. He's only technically known Yuurei for three-and-a-half years or so but it honestly seems longer than that, almost as if he's known the man his entire life.

And he can't lose that.

**XXXIV.**

It could've been a few minutes or an hour – he isn't sure – but Naruto is soon approached by an nurse who hands him a slightly wrinkled note and tells him that Tsunade needs some extra medical supplies from the Nara Compound immediately.

(Later, much later, he would think back and realize that any medic could've made the run themselves but Tsunade had, no doubt, known that Naruto would hate sitting helplessly in the waiting room and feeling generally useless.)

Naruto takes off almost before the nurse finishes speaking, dashing over the rooftops in a blur of determined urgency as he sprints across the village towards the Nara Compound.

He almost rips the two shinobi guarding the compound gates a new one but Shikaku must have been close by and his thunderous yelling for them to let him in must have caught the clan head's attention because, a few seconds later, Shikaku himself appears with a yawning Shikamaru behind him.

"Something wrong, Naruto-kun?" Shikaku enquires pleasantly as he raises a hand to quiet the two guards when they bow and make to speak.

Naruto thrusts the piece of paper in the man's face. Screw etiquette – if Shikaku can get those supplies to the hospital in the next five minutes, he'll kiss the ground the man walks on if Shikaku asks it of him.

Shikaku scans the note and Shikamaru peers at it from over his dad's shoulder.

"Must be serious," Shikaku comments as he begins passing the note to one of the guards. "These medications aren't normally used."

Naruto nods unsteadily. "Yuurei-san's lost a lot of blood. Baa-chan's working on him now."

Shikaku pauses and Shikamaru glances sharply at him. "He's back in Konoha? He's hurt?"

"Yes, yeah, to both," Naruto watches restlessly as Shikaku turns away completely and exchanges a few words with one of the guards. Said guard's eyes widen and, with a salute, Shunshins away at top speed.

"He'll be back with the supplies in a few minutes," Shikaku tells him curtly. "Who was Yuurei-kun fighting? Akatsuki didn't give him trouble."

"He wasn't fighting," Naruto says shortly, dancing from foot to foot as he glanced repeatedly in the direction that the guard has gone. "He got to Rain just in time to stop Ero-sennin from getting killed, and he took a blade through the chest."

The guard returns before anyone could say anything more, and with a hasty thank-you, Naruto snatches the box of medical supplies and races away again, scarcely realizing that both Naras are right on his tail.

**XXXV.**

The gossip vine amongst the ninja population is working overtime, and four hours after Yuurei is admitted into surgery, the waiting room starts to fill.

Shikaku and Shikamaru have already been coming and going, and Naruto's team hasn't left since, and the next two people to barge their way in, ignoring the nurses who are trying to hush them, are Gekkou Hayate and Mitarashi Anko.

"Is he really-!" Anko gestures wildly at the ER, and at Kakashi's grim nod from behind his book, the woman kicks aggressively at a chair before throwing herself into it.

"Damn it, I haven't even _talked_ to him yet!" Anko spits out acidly. "He can't go and die before I can pay him back!"

Naruto's head snaps up and he glowers at her. "Shut up! He's _not_ gonna die!"

"How long has he been in there?" Hayate interjects as he gingerly sits down three seats away from Anko.

"Four hours, give or take," Naruto forces out through gritted teeth, and the waiting room falls silent once again.

Shikamaru's team treks in a few times over the next two hours, and Inoichi and Chouza pop in once or twice. Naruto's other friends swing by as well, and even the Sandaime, once the old man had gotten wind of it, comes by to enquire about Yuurei.

"He's pretty popular for someone who doesn't personally associate much with the people in Konoha," Yamato comments when Genma comes in with Kotetsu and Izumo in tow.

"He's saved this village or someone in this village a dozen times over," Naruto grounds out, sandals scuffing the floor edgily. "It's the least they owe him."

"Dickless, I've been thinking," Sai speaks up. The artist has been remarkably patient waiting for news on someone he's never met. "Aren't those missing-nins still in your apartment?"

Naruto starts, and then slaps a hand to his forehead. It's lucky Sai has the forethought to speak softly enough so that only Naruto's team and Ero-sennin can hear him.

For the first time since the wait began, Jiraiya stirs from his slumped position and glances over. "Which ones?"

"All of them – Itachi, Kisame, and Hidan," Naruto says tersely. He'll only forgive the Sannin if – _when_ – Yuurei comes out alive. "They haven't killed anyone yet. I'll check on them later."

Then again, Naruto isn't entirely blameless either. After all, didn't Yuurei told him to keep an eye on Jiraiya? Sure, his mentor didn't tell him why, didn't even say it in a way that emphasized the importance of it, but since when has Yuurei ever said anything without good reason?

Naruto glances to the side at Kakashi. Yuurei has told him to watch Kakashi as well. Does that mean the Copy-nin is going to do something stupid as well?

Naruto sighs. Why couldn't the people he cares about just _stay put_?

**XXXVI.**

When Tsunade finally comes out with Sakura on her right, both tired and bloodstained, Naruto all but orders them to give him good news.

"He's going to be fine," Tsuande smiles faintly at him as she pulled out the tie hold backing her hair. "He lost a lot of blood and the chakra disruption blade caused havoc with his chakra while we were healing him, but he's on the mend. Shizune's moving him to a private room and then you can go see him."

Sighs of relief is heard from all around the room. Naruto all but collapses back into his chair. He swears to himself that he's going to get the best presents imaginable for Tsunade, Sakura, _and_ Shizune for their respective birthdays.

"When will he wake up?" Kakashi asks when Naruto can't seem to find the energy for words.

"Within the next few days, but I do want to keep him here for at least a week for observation. Although," Tsunade shakes her head despairingly. "He _is_ a Namikaze. He'll probably be climbing the walls to get out the moment he wakes up."

Naruto swallows hard and closes his eyes. Yuurei is going to be fine.

"Jiraiya."

Naruto opens his eyes again and finds Tsunade looming over his sensei, expression increasingly dark.

The woman smiles, all teeth. "My office. _Now_."

Naruto is too relieved to laugh at Jiraiya's predicament. The idiot deserves every minute of the lecture Tsunade is going to mete out.

**XXXVII.**

"What exactly gives people the impression that I like flowers?" Yuurei asks two days later from his hospital bed when Naruto walks in.

True to Tsunade's word, Yuurei wakes up a mere seven hours after he comes out of surgery and Naruto is the first person to see the older blond open his eyes. Naruto's been coming and going persistently ever since.

Of course, when Naruto breaks the news to his houseguests, Hidan swears up a storm, Kisame looks like he wants to stick Samehada through Jiraiya, Itachi frowns more than usual, and all three break into the hospital at the first opportunity, clambering in through the windows of empty hospital rooms before sneaking into Yuurei's room. All of them refuse to leave so Tsunade, who's none too pleased with their presence in the village much less in her hospital, says they can stay but only if they stay away from basically everyone in the village and hide whenever someone other than Naruto goes to visit Yuurei.

They agree, Hidan if only because Yuurei gives him a single sharp look that conveys a wordless reprimand. Naruto still has no idea how his mentor has managed to reign in the violent immortal, but he solves another mystery when he finds out, from Tsunade, that Itachi doesn't always keep his Sharingan on anymore because one of the first things Yuurei does when he first draws Itachi onto his side is drag the Uchiha home and convince Itachi to convince Tsunade to heal his eyes.

At the moment though, besides the three missing-nins stationed around the room, there are flowers and sweets piled high on the table at the end of the bed.

"It's 'get well' stuff," Naruto says, closing the door behind him. "Everyone's stopped by at least once, right?"

"Yes," Yuurei nods but uncharacteristic bewilderment paints his features. "But I don't know why. I don't really know any of them."

"But you saved Konoha," Naruto counters. "Several times over. And a few of them personally owe you their lives."

Yuurei scoffs but says nothing as he shifts and absently presses a hand against his bandaged chest. "How is Jiraiya? He hasn't stopped by."

Naruto makes a satisfied sound at the back of his throat. "He's being chewed out by baa-chan every other hour. He's probably feeling guilty too."

Yuurei rolls his eyes. "Don't tell me that's the reason he's staying away. He's a grown man, for God's sakes."

Naruto shrugs and sits down beside his mentor. "I wouldn't know. He did go against orders."

Yuurei just sighs. "Nagato was his student. I didn't really expect anything less."

Naruto scowls. "He still shouldn't have gone."

Yuurei shrugs, gaze drifting to the window. "Sasuke's a traitor to the village. He's picked his side. Should you still fight to get him back?"

Naruto splutters. "That's-! That's different!"

Yuurei turns back, attention lingering momentarily on a motionless Itachi before focusing on Naruto again and arching an eyebrow. "How so? In the end, both Sasuke and Nagato are people you and Jiraiya care about respectively. Sometimes, that's all that matters."

Naruto has nothing to say against this – it's true after all – and Yuurei nods to himself before glancing over his head at the door. Seconds later, two muffled knocks are heard and the door is pulled open to admit the very person they were talking about.

"Ero-sennin," Naruto huffs. He's forgiven the man but he'd still like to beat him over the head with a stick sometime.

Jiraiya's changed into fresh clothes and his left arm is wrapped in bandages. The man nods briefly at the three missing-nins before glancing at Naruto and Yuurei.

"Out, all of you," Yuurei instructs, and when both Naruto and Hidan make to protest, he shoots them both a stern look. "Seriously, as touched as I am to have a team of bodyguards at my beck and call, I _can_ take care of myself. Now _out_."

Naruto grumbles but gets to his feet as Itachi pushes off the wall he is leaning on and Kisame and Hidan follow at his heels. They troop past Jiraiya, and the last thing Naruto sees before he closes the door is his sensei's sheepish, rueful smile and an orange book with a Get Well card attached to it being brandished in his mentor's face.

He also catches the beginning of a laugh from Yuurei and grudgingly relents. He supposes he'll hold off on kicking Ero-sennin's ass until the next time the man pulls something this stupid.

**XXXVIII.**

Only a week after Tsunade finally throws up her hands and discharges Yuurei from the hospital just to get rid of him and his incessant complaining – the man is apparently even worse than Kakashi about staying put in a hospital – Naruto wakes up one morning to find an ANBU at his door and another war council being called in Tsunade's office. Even Sai is in attendance because, miraculously and while still in the _hospital_, Yuurei has managed to create a seal that effectively removes the one on Sai's tongue. Jiraiya's added a few extra precautions, and together, they've erased Danzou's seal in record timing.

The entire meeting's about Pain and, by extension, Konan this time. Yuurei's there as well, still a shade paler than usual, but even stranger than the blond's presence it the fact that there are three missing-nins in attendance as well, and the biggest reaction amongst the Konoha-nins are a few suspicious glances their way.

Jiraiya explains Pain's abilities and the Six Paths technique that even Itachi hadn't been able to describe in great detail last time. He also tells them that Uchiha Madara is very much alive and has given Pain the order to capture Naruto.

Naruto is less concerned by this than he probably should. He's more interested in the way his mentor's eyes narrow at the mention of Uchiha Madara.

"He'll need time to replace four of his Paths," Jiraiya concludes. "In the meantime, I suggest we prepare for an invasion."

Grim looks and clipped murmurs are exchanged between the assembled ninjas but everyone shuts up when Yuurei speaks.

"Perhaps Naruto should start learning senjutsu," Yuurei remarks, gaze moving from Naruto to Jiraiya and then back to Naruto. "I've taught him as much as I can for now. Becoming a sage is the next step."

Naruto blinks. Neither of his teachers has talked much about senjutsu but he knows that they want him to learn it eventually. Apparently, that time has come.

"He'll have to go to Mount Myouboku to learn," Jiraiya muses out loud. "It's a good plan. We've got time. We should spend it getting as strong as possible before Pain arrives."

The attending shinobi discuss this for another ten minutes before an unanimous agreement is reached and Tsunade gives them the okay.

"Will you be coming with me?" Naruto blurts out just before Tsunade calls the meeting to a close. His gaze includes Jiraiya – who's definitely coming – but concentrates mainly on Yuurei.

It feels like the entire room has stopped to wait for Yuurei's answer.

"No," Yuurei shakes his head. "I wouldn't be welcome at Mount Myouboku anyway. I don't have a contract with the toads or anything."

Naruto droops forlornly. He has forgotten about that.

"Then will you be staying here?" Kakashi's question is mild and unconcerned, but the fact that he has asked at all gives him away.

Naruto looks around and he wonders if the other Konoha-nins, in some small, subconscious, stupid way, believe that, with Yuurei, they somehow have the Yondaime back. He's heard stories of his father but he rather doubts even Namikaze Minato has ever run back and forth across the entire continent eliminating threats for the village without actually killing all of them and protecting the people of Konoha_ while_ not being part of Konoha in the first place.

Yuurei doesn't answer right away. Instead, he glances over at Itachi, Kisame, and Hidan, and the four of them share a silent conversation between them.

"I don't care what we do," Hidan finally says out loud. "But if we go back to Sound, I'm putting my foot so far up Orochimaru's ass that he'll still be able to taste it after he's dead."

He pauses, and then glances slyly at Itachi and snickers, "Unless of course your kid brother already has it occupied, if you get my drif-"

Kisame swings Samehada, causing five Konoha-nins and a dog to duck and Hidan to leap out of the way, howling with laughter.

"That's fucking sick!" Kisame snaps, and Naruto tries to cleanse his mind by taking a few deep breaths. Around him, some of his generation looks clueless while everyone else is copying his breathing technique. "Hidan, you need serious professional help, and Itachi, for fuck's sake, when we get your brother back, teach him _not_ to run off with long-tongued weirdoes who make a living out of stalking and _biting_ children. Talk about pedophiles."

Itachi is glowering – or as much as he can ever glower – at Hidan while Yuurei looks faintly amused in a tolerant sort of way.

"Alright, that's enough insanity out of the lot of you!" Tsunade snaps in their general direction. Even she looks mildly disturbed. "Frankly, with the exception of Yuurei, I don't care where you go, as long as it's away from here. Unless any of you are looking to become Konoha-nins – then we can talk."

Hidan snorts derisively. "I'd dance naked through the streets of this village before becoming one of your happy-go-lucky Leafs, Bitch. In fact, I'd prefer it. Might wipe out half your virgin citizens with heart-attacks if I'm lucky."

There's a vein throbbing in Tsunade's forehead, and a very awkward atmosphere descends on the room. Naruto is torn between laughing hysterically at the fact that a missing-nin is trashing Konoha right in front of a bunch of Konoha-nins and no one seems inclined to do anything about it, and tearing into Hidan himself.

Fortunately, Yuurei steps in before the situation can escalate.

"Hidan, shut up," Yuurei orders, and apparently, Hidan at least has enough self-preservation instincts to do so when Yuurei says it because he shuts up obediently even though a smirk still plays on his lips. "My apologies, ba- Tsunade-sama."

Tsuande gives him a dirty look, and this time, Naruto does laugh. "You were about to call me 'baa-chan', weren't you?"

Yuurei doesn't say anything, only blinking back with I'm-going-to-pretend-I-have-no-idea-what-you're-talking-about-even-though-I-clearly-do innocence.

Tsunade rolls her eyes and looks between Naruto and Yuurei with reluctantly amused exasperation. "Two peas in a pod, you two are."

Naruto grins broadly while an odd smile flickers over Yuurei's face.

"I have some things to do," Yuurei says, yanking the conversation back on track. "So we'll be leaving for a bit."

"Again?" Anko complains. "How much stuff do you have to do?"

Yuurei smiles blandly at the woman. For one so quiet and the other loud as heck, Naruto thinks they've really hit it off over the past two weeks. Anko's even succeeded in dragging his mentor out for a drink and some dango.

"A lot," Yuurei answers vaguely as he looks back at Tsunade. "I'll be in touch."

Tsunade watches him thoughtfully over clasped hands. "Do you need backup? Just because we'll be preparing for an invasion doesn't mean I won't be assigning missions."

Yuurei tilts his head, looking baffled. "I am not one of your shinobi, Hokage-sama. At best, I am a rogue-nin."

"But you help Konoha," Tsunade counters pointedly. "And you've got the backing of three ex-Akatsuki members. I'd rather not alienate powerful potential allies, even if they are irritating beyond words."

This last bit is directed at Hidan who's preening with arrogant pride.

Yuurei hums noncommittally before shaking his head. "No, not now anyway. I'll be back in a few weeks."

Tsunade acquiesces with a nod. "I'll hold you to that."

Yuurei inclines his head before turning to face Naruto, dropping a hand on his head. "Train hard, kid. And polish up your Rasenshuriken while you're at it. It's still rough around the edges."

Naruto nods resolutely before grinning confidently. "One day, I'm gonna be stronger than you."

There's not a single spark of disbelief in his mentor's eyes, just an unwavering certainty as if Yuurei already _knows_ Naruto is going to surpass him.

"Of that I have no doubt," Yuurei quirks a smile before glancing back at the three waiting missing-nins. "Let's go."

And with a rush of wind and flapping cloaks, the four of them disappear from the office.

**XXXIX.**

The invasion begins before Naruto gets home, and when he does, the devastation he finds makes his heart ache. Quite a few are dead, though Naruto has a feeling that there would be more if Yuurei and his three missing-nin companions – henged into Konoha-nins – aren't already there battling furiously against the invading forces.

When he finds _Kakashi_ dead, Naruto is angry enough to lose it and level what's left of Konoha but he heads out after the real Pain instead once he's secured Yuurei's weary promise that they will handle the four Paths wreaking havoc in the village.

His sensei comes with him, and then he's _really_ pissed, especially when Pain's – _Nagato's_ – refusal to change, to see that destruction didn't lead to peace, is forcing Jiraiya's hand, forcing the teacher to kill the student, and Naruto absolutely hates the desolate look behind the Sannin's grim resolve.

So, right after the Toad Sage takes down one of the Paths and isn't expecting it, Naruto incapacitates him. Just temporarily. He has had a feeling that this might happen and, before he left for sage training, he managed to wrangle a minor paralysis poison from Sakura, just in case.

It comes in handy now, and he grins shamelessly at the glaring, futilely-struggling Sannin and assures the man that he will take care of everything.

And he does. Naruto talks and fights and talks some more and fights some more, because there _has_ to be a way to finish this without killing a part of his sensei. He gets rid of the last Path guarding the real Nagato, ducks around Konan, and tells the skeletal man that he isn't going to kill him, even if he _has_ wasted half the village, especially upon hearing Nagato's story and realising how hatred had given birth to Pain.

At the back of his mind, Naruto thinks he finally understands what Jiraiya was trying to tell him, to teach him, when the man gave him that book for his birthday, although his sensei probably didn't expect a situation like this.

Naruto is relieved when Nagato finally sees sense, and he's ecstatic when the man starts reviving all the people killed during the invasion.

By this time, the poison has worn off and Jiraiya joins him, whacking him over the head for his efforts and scolding him half-heartedly. Naruto isn't sorry – he'd do it again without regret.

It takes a few moments but neither of them are very happy when they realize that the Rinne Tensei no Jutsu is literally too much for Nagato and the man's very life is being drained.

And then Yuurei is there, bypassing a startled Konan in a flurry of movement as he rushes towards Nagato. For a moment, Naruto thinks his mentor is going to kill the man because he's holding a kunai, and then he feels guilty for thinking it because he knows Yuurei has never considered killing to be the first option in any conflict. Most of the time, it's not even the last option.

Yuurei only nicks a shallow cut along Nagato's arm before blue chakra begins pouring from the blond's hands and straight into Nagato's system.

Nagato is visibly surprised but the man has the presence of mind to keep a firm hold on the jutsu he is executing.

Naruto watches with wide eyes and bated breath as colour swirls back into Nagato's hair and the man's posture straightens as Yuurei provides the necessary strength.

Beside Naruto, Jiraiya and Konan are much the same, standing stock-still as they both wait apprehensively for the two to finish.

The glow of chakra slowly fade away, and Konan is moving forward before Yuurei even stumbles away. She sweeps past Yuurei with a semi-grateful nod in his direction and hovers uncertainly beside Nagato, who, despite the help, is still tired, but at least alive.

Naruto hurries over to Yuurei, insistently manoeuvring his mentor into a sitting position as the older blond runs a tired hand through his hair.

Jiraiya looks torn for all of two seconds before approaching Yuurei, only casting a cursory glance over Nagato and Konan before stooping down beside Naruto's mentor as well.

Hours later, when repairs are underway and everyone's laughter is still tinged more with relief than humour as the dead pop up tired but healthy once again, Naruto finds Yuurei, Nagato, and Konan all sitting on the Hokage Monument and talking quietly with each other. He can't get close enough without being spotted to hear what they're saying but there's a comfortable air of camaraderie between his mentor and the two Ame-nins that makes Naruto silently tiptoe away again.

Even though he has no proof, he doesn't think the three are talking about the invasion or the damage caused or anything remotely related to business, mostly because he catches a glimpse of Nagato and Konan's faces and realizes that his mentor is making them smile.

So it comes as no surprise when, days later – when half the village is screaming for their heads and the other half is telling them to get their asses in gear and just _leave_ already – Nagato and Konan bid Jiraiya a polite but almost-fond see-you-later before following Yuurei and his three missing-nins out the back gates of Konoha.

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**Please leave a review on your way out.**

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**Gedou: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu – Outer Path: ****Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique**

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**Yeah, another chapter even though I was going to end it on the last one for a while. This is supposed to be a short fic though so there should only be three to five chapters in total.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Naruto.**

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**Author's Notes: **Just a reminder that this is AU, seeing how Yuurei's made a lot of changes, and the dimension that Yuurei came from would have to be AU after a point as well for him to have to travel back in time/to another dimension.

And I should probably add that for people who love Sasuke, this most likely isn't a fic for you. Sasuke's not one of my fave characters and I don't hate him or anything either (more indifferent, I guess), but the portrayal I have of him in this fic doesn't get a lot of sympathy from me. You've been warned.

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**Ghost**

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**XL.**

"Err, what's going on, Baa-chan?" Naruto asks warily after even Kakashi has arrived in the office. Tsunade has been frowning pensively ever since Team Seven entered the room. The woman would have usually tried to hit at least one of them with a paperweight by now.

Tsunade's frown deepens as she rests her chin on clasped hands. "I've got good news and bad news."

"What's the good news?" Sakura looks even more anxious than Naruto feels.

Tsunade waves a piece of paper in the air. "I'm sure you all know that Nagato is head of Amegakure. Yuurei's been good enough to escort him and Konan home and they're getting back to work again. The good news is that he's extended an offer of alliance to Konoha, and he's already sworn his village's allegiance to you, specifically, Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widen. He hasn't heard from either Ame-nin since they had left with his mentor three months ago. "Seriously? I thought he was just saying that right before he left Konoha!"

Tsunade snorts. "Yes, seriously. You've got an army at your beck and call, brat. Don't go spreading it around. No complaints, I assume?"

Naruto shakes his head. "No, that's great! And you'll accept the alliance, right?"

Tsunade nods. "Of course, especially at a time like this."

She picks up another piece of paper. "This is from Yuurei. Apparently, he and his merry band of criminals are passing through Lightning right now and Jiraiya's just joined up with them. Bad news doesn't even begin covering the information they've sent us."

She pauses and heaves a deep sigh. "First of all, Orochimaru's gone-"

Naruto's jaw drops. He's not the only one. "Yuurei-san killed him?! And he didn't _invite me_?!"

He ducks a paperweight but holds his tongue when Tsunade scowls at him. "I'm not finished, brat! Orochimaru's gone _for now_ because your idiot teammate decided it was a good idea to absorb that snake creep into himself!"

Naruto wracks his brain for a reason but either he really is a lot dumber than the so-called genius Sasuke or Sasuke's finally lost it because he can't, for the life of him, figure out _why_ anyone would do something that stupid.

"But-" Naruto scratches his head, bewildered. Beside him, Sakura looks wide-eyed with horror. "But Sasuke still has the Cursed Seal, right? It's not like it's gone or anything. So... so in the best case scenario, uh, wouldn't Sasuke still have to... keep suppressing Orochimaru with his chakra? And if Sasuke runs out of chakra, wouldn't Orochimaru be able to take over?"

Tsunade massages her temples, muttering, "My god, even _he's_ figured it out. Genius Uchiha my ass."

"Yes," She says, looking up again. "I suppose the only good thing about it would be that Sasuke's gained access to some of Orochimaru's abilities."

Naruto snorts. "You couldn't _pay_ me to use Orochimaru's techniques. Why couldn't Sasuke just kill that snake bastard and be done with it?"

"Don't ask me – _I_ was never the brat's teammate," Tsunade grumbles. "That's not the worst part. After absorbing Orochimaru so to speak, Sasuke assembled a team –Team Hebi – comprised of three of Orochimaru's former test subjects. They then proceeded to search for Itachi but Yuurei's done a good job of erasing any tracks Team Hebi might follow. As long as Itachi's with Yuurei, Sasuke won't be able to find him."

"Okay, that's not so bad," Naruto says, glancing around. "I mean even I know Itachi's stronger than Sasuke, and Sasuke can't even find him right now. Not to mention Yuurei-san is so gonna kick his ass six ways to Sunday if he tries to lay a finger on Itachi."

Tsunade sighs again. "_That's _not the worst part either. Sasuke was then approached by Uchiha Madara, the true leader of Akatsuki, though I suppose he's finally stepping up now because he's got no more men left. I believe he's only got a few hundred White Zetsu clones scattered around. Anyway, they've formed something of an alliance now."

A long silence prevails. Kakashi lowers his book, a deadpan expression on the visible part of his face. "So basically, he's run from one lunatic to another."

Tsunade nods grimly. "Basically. I'd appreciate it if one of you could explain to me the workings of that boy's mind because I just don't get it."

Naruto kicks at the paperweight on the ground to relieve some of his aggravation. "What's not to get? Sasuke wants power. Orochimaru couldn't give him that, not to mention that creep probably wanted to get him in bed or take over his body or something so Sasuke got rid of him. Of course, he can't even do a proper job of it because he wants _Orochimaru's_ power. And then Madara appears and offers Sasuke even more power and Sasuke thinks he can deliver so off he goes to join his mad-as-fuck ancestor. Simple."

There is another long silence.

"That actually makes a lot of sense," Kakashi comments thoughtfully.

"Oh shut up, both of you," Sakura shoots them an irritated look. "Look, the best thing we can do right now is track Sasuke-kun down, put him out of action, tie him up, drag him home, remove the Cursed Seal, tell him the truth about Itachi-san, and let him throw his temper tantrums until he either believes us or one of us gets annoyed and beats it into his head instead."

Naruto blinks at her with more than a little awe. "Sakura-chan, I didn't know you had it in you."

Sakura huffs and crosses her arms. "Hey, we know the truth now. All Sasuke-kun is doing is making an ass out of himself. _Everyone_ who actually matters knows the truth except him. I swear, Madara's probably having a good laugh right about now. Talk about gullible! I mean, I _remember_ Itachi-san from back before the Uchiha Massacre. I only saw him from a distance a few times but he cared about Sasuke-kun. And then Itachi-san ups and kills his entire Clan out of the blue, and Sasuke-kun doesn't even try to find out why? He just takes the word of the guy who just murdered his family at face value and doesn't look any further? How does that even make sense?"

Naruto sweatdrops. "I- I guess he isn't a researcher like you, Sakura-chan. You can tell him all that when we get him back."

Sakura harrumphs and Naruto guesses that she still isn't all that happy about how their last clash with Sasuke went.

"So," Yamato speaks up, looking expectantly at Tsuande. "Do you want us to track Sasuke down and get him back? Again?"

Tsunade sighs a third time. "I'm _still_ not finished. The absolute worst news in this gigantic clusterfuck is the fact that Sasuke and his team have made a move on one of Kumogakure's Jinchuuriki."

Tsunade pins them all with a hard stare as she slaps a hand on Yuurei's missive. "Killer B, the Jinchuuriki that Madara sent Team Hebi to kidnap, is _missing_ right now, and not only is the man the container of the Hachibi, he's also the adopted brother of the _Raikage_. Do you understand what this means?! _We haven't labelled Sasuke a missing-nin._ Because Sasuke attacked and presumably abducted B, Konoha's just as good as started a war against Kumo!"

Naruto gapes. The _hell_ is Sasuke thinking? Konoha has _just_ rebuilt itself from Nagato's invasion! Then again, the teme would hardly care about that. "Well- Are they sure it was Sasuke who did it?"

Tsunade shoots to her feet at last, glaring furiously at all of them. "That little shit had the balls to do it in broad daylight! He was seen leaving by several eyewitnesses! The Raikage's sending a team over here for information on Sasuke right now!"

Tsunade takes a deep breath and sits back down. "So – options. Let me hear them. Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi – you three know him best."

"We find Sasuke before anyone else does," Naruto says immediately. "That B guy's just been kidnapped, right? So we'll go save him and kick Sasuke's ass while we're at it."

"It's not that simple, Naruto," Kakashi admonishes, book nowhere in sight as his visible eye grows sombre. "This is serious. A relative, even if not by blood, of the Raikage has been taken, and a Jinchuuriki to boot. The Raikage won't let that go."

Naruto frowns, chewing on his lip. "Maybe I can convince him to pardon Sasuke-"

"That's naive!" Tsunade cuts him off harshly, and Naruto flinches a little, especially since she's unknowingly echoed Yuurei's words from all those years ago. "Sasuke is a criminal, nothing more, nothing less, and the sooner you accept it, the better. The fact that he isn't labelled a missing-nin doesn't change that. How would you deal with criminals who attack and take your family, Naruto? Would you just let them go with a friendly don't-do-it-again pat on the back?"

Naruto flushes and clenches his hands. "Sasuke's still my friend-"

"And B is the Raikage's brother!" Tsunade snaps. "What's your point, Naruto? There's no one across the elemental countries who isn't important to someone else."

"I _know_ that!" Naruto growls back. "And I understand why the Raikage would want to hunt down Sasuke – Hell, I'd do the same thing in his place! – but it's the same reason I want to find Sasuke first! No matter what he's done, I can't just _hand_ him over!"

Tsunade pinches the bridge of her nose before eyeing Naruto with grave eyes. "You stubborn little snot! Konoha can't _afford_ to go to war with Kumo! Especially since we just got through an _invasion_!"

"The way I see it," For the first time since the meeting started, Sai steps forward, glancing between Naruto and the Hokage. "The simplest solution to make sure any backlash to Konoha would be minimal is to label Uchiha Sasuke a missing-nin at once and order his immediate capture."

Naruto rounds on his teammate with a wounded expression. "Sai!"

Sai continues blithely, overriding any further words Naruto is about to say. "One of the national laws shared by all five hidden villages is that any missing-nin captured by said missing-nin's former village is to be dealt with _by that village_, regardless of what they have done to another. So long as Uchiha Sasuke is not captured by any other parties involved, we would, legally, have full rights to deal with him as we please, and no one can do anything against it. So then, Hokage-sama, you could send your own teams out to search for Uchiha Sasuke and..."

"-and another delegation to Kumo to appease the Raikage," Kakashi picks up. "Though I have a feeling that there won't be much appeasing involved. More... buying time."

"So that we'll find Sasuke before Kumo does," Yamato finishes, and the man looks to be seriously mulling over the idea. Naruto beams at all of them proudly.

Tsunade snorts. "Naruto's finally corrupted the lot of you, hasn't he? Sakura? What do you think?"

"It's a good plan," Sakura looks a bit sheepish at the raised eyebrow that her mentor directed at her. "Best one so far. What else are we going to do?"

Tsunade sighs deeply for a final time, leaning back in her chair. "Alright, fine. But I'm not risking a fallout with the Raikage because Idiot One over there couldn't keep his temper in check and ends up starting a grudge match in Kumo or something; all of you will be going after Sasuke. I'll send someone else to do the appeasing."

Naruto whoops loudly because this is the first time in a long while since Tsunade's given them permission to go after Sasuke directly.

"Wait, wait," Yamato cuts in. "We don't have any leads; how are we going to find them?"

Tsunade smirked a little at this. "Oh this is the fun part; I have no doubt you'll be happy with this mission, especially you, Naruto. Yuurei sent word that he and his team will be stopping in Shimogakure in three days. They've been tracking down some Zetsu clones causing havoc in that area. If the lot of you hurry, you can join up with them there. And since Sasuke is hunting Itachi, I have no doubt that you'll meet up with the brat sooner or later."

Naruto is grinning so widely that it feels like his face will split in two. They have official permission to find and bring Sasuke home, and now they get to work together with Yuurei; at this rate, Naruto may just have to cut back on the old hag comments.

**XLI.**

Team Seven doesn't end up getting to go by themselves though; it would be too suspicious for Sasuke's old team to be the only ones dispatched to capture him, so Team Gai is once again shuffled alongside them for the retrieval mission.

Needless to say, most of the trip to Frost is _very_ youthful.

And _really_ irritating.

"Sakura-san! Please be my girlfriend! I vow to protect you with my life!"

Naruto can stand a lot of things; he likes to think that while he can have a short temper and Sasuke can rile him up like no one else, he's also pretty easy to get along with and he doesn't get truly angry very often.

However, _this_ – Naruto takes exception to.

"Shut up, you stupid Fuzzy-Brows!" Naruto bellows, warding off another of Lee's attempts at approaching Sakura. "You can't _proposition_ _my_ teammate in front of me! Heck, you can't proposition my teammate any other time either! Back off!"

This just gets Lee even more pumped up, and that's saying something. "Defending your teammate, Naruto-kun? That is very youthful indeed! Yosh! I challenge you to a fight for the opportunity to take Sakura-san on a date!"

"Hell no!" Naruto growls, scowling darkly at the green-clad Chuunin bounding up and down with every Shunshin. And people say _Naruto's_ hyperactive. "She ain't interested- ow!"

"I can answer for myself, Naruto!" Sakura snaps from beside him after whacking him upside the head. And then, strangely enough, she quirks a smile at him. "But that's sweet of you even though it's unnecessary."

She turns to Lee with an apologetic look. "Sorry, Lee-kun; I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now."

Lee's face falls for a fraction of a second before he brightens again in a disturbingly bipolar manner. "I understand, Sakura-san! You would want to use this time of your youth to train and become even stronger! Do not worry! I, Rock Lee, swear to wait for you until you are ready! My flames of youth will only grow from such perseverance and dedication!"

Naruto facepalms as Sakura sighs and everyone else sweatdrops. Except Gai of course; the man just beams proudly at his protégé and the two are off crying about something or other before any of them could blink. A sunset pops up behind them and waves appear out of absolutely nowhere, splashing high around the two taijutsu specialists as they sob into each other's arms.

"Are they suffering from a mental illness?" Sai asks, sounding honestly curious. "How have they been cleared for active duty?"

Tenten snorts with laughter and Neji closes his eyes like he wants to be anywhere but here.

"Yes, yes they are," Kakashi chimes in, looking so serious that even Naruto almost believes him.

"No, they aren't, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura shoots him a reprimanding look that she doesn't really mean if the twitch of her lips is anything to go by. Yamato just looks on with long-suffering amusement. "They've always been like that, Sai. Don't mind it."

Naruto grins at the slightly bewildered cast on Sai's face; it's a far sight better than the empty blankness that Sai had worn like a second skin back when they had first met.

He opens his mouth to quip something of his own, just to see if he can make one of those really, really, _really_ rare genuine smiles appear on his newest teammate's face, but he doesn't even get one word into the open before all the air feels like it's been ripped out of his lungs and agony explodes in his chest like a sledgehammer to the sternum.

Naruto trips in the middle of Shunshining from one branch to the next and he's plummeting to the ground before he even realizes he's falling. Somewhere above him, Sakura shouts his name, alarm clear in every syllable, and somewhere to his left, Lee and Gai abruptly shut up.

He's only vaguely aware of this though, and just as he's sure he's going to hit the ground headfirst (he's already gasping in pain; the impact isn't going to hurt much in comparison), someone collides with him and strong arms wrap around his shoulders and hook under his knees, narrowly saving him from a close-up-and-personal introduction with the forest floor.

"Naruto," It's the subtle urgency in Kakashi's typically languid drawl that prompts Naruto to peel back his eyelids blearily, and even then it takes him a moment or two to realize that it is the Copy-nin who has reacted fast enough to catch him.

And then Sakura is there in a flurry of pink, and she's ordering Kakashi to set Naruto on the ground – _gently; cushion his head too_ – and her soothing chakra is suddenly washing over him as she scans his vitals and does other medic-y things that will probably make Naruto's head spin if someone tries to explain it to him.

"I'm fine," Naruto mumbles, and then says it again louder, struggling to sit up. Neji and Tenten are hovering on the right, Sai and Yamato linger at the corner of his eye, and Lee and Gai are wide-eyed with concern.

Naruto allows himself a moment to marvel at all the people who now care about him, troubled just because he took a tumble.

"No you're not, Naruto!" Sakura barks at him, a chakra-infused hand to his chest keeping him down. "People who are fine don't fall out of the air for no reason! Now lie down and tell me where it hurts!"

"Nowhere," Naruto insists, and he's telling the truth, because as quickly as it has come, the pain is already receding. "My chest hurt for a moment but I don't feel anything anymore."

Sakura frowns, worry evident in the crease of her brow as her hands drift up to his chest area. "Your heart, you mean?"

Naruto is about to nod, but he hesitates as he thinks back. No, it wasn't his heart. It was...

"I don't know," Naruto scratches his head as he gingerly pats his torso. "I don't think it was my heart. It was..."

_Deeper than that_, Naruto thinks, but he has no idea how that would make sense, so he settles lamely on, "It was like someone kicked me in the chest. It just took me by surprise."

Sakura's frown only deepens as she finishes her scan. "Well nothing feels wrong. Maybe it's... the Kyuubi?"

She glances uncertainly at Kakashi then because her expertise doesn't extend to the fox. Kakashi only shakes his head and looks at Naruto. "Naruto? I think you'd know best. Did you feel the seal acting up?"

"No," Naruto says instantly because he hadn't felt the Kyuubi so much as shift. "It wasn't the fox. It didn't feel like-"

He stops abruptly because, in a leap of impossible instinct, he suddenly just _knows_, and it fills his entire being with dread.

He sits up so fast that he almost cracks heads with Sakura, but he doesn't even waste time apologizing as he twists around and stares ahead, as if he could cancel out all the miles between him and his mentor if he looks hard enough.

"Naruto, what-" Sakura starts, but Naruto is already scrambling to his feet.

"Something's wrong with Yuurei-san!" Naruto all but spits out in increasing anxiety, and he doesn't know how he knows; just that he does, and he's borderline panicking because the wrongness of it all feels different this time. It isn't the restless uneasiness he felt back when he was thirteen and Yuurei disappeared for four months, nor is it the near-overwhelming terror he felt when Yuurei was in the emergency room fighting for his life.

It is far worse because it almost feels like Yuurei is _vanishing_.

And it doesn't make any sense whatsoever but Naruto doesn't care; he has to _go_.

"Naruto!" Sakura yells after him as he takes off for the trees again, bolting through the foliage as fast as his legs could carry him, fear that doesn't make sense in the least bolstering him forward.

He barely hears his friends darting after him, and he ignores their calls to wait.

He doesn't know how or why; he just knows that he has to get to Yuurei.

**XLII.**

They don't even make it to Shimogakure.

As Naruto has always been able to do (and as everyone else has never been able to do), he tracks down Yuurei in record time.

Their group hurtles through the rest of Hot Water without pause (it's lucky that particular country is so small), and even in the heavy sleet of Frost's naturally cold weather, Naruto hones in on the chakra signature that, now that he thinks about it, is always pulsing soothingly at the edge of his senses.

"You sure we're going the right way, Naruto?" Tenten calls out, panting as they dash above the knee-high snow. "Shimogakure is that way!"

"Yuurei-san's not in Shimogakure," He replies tersely, eyes focused straight ahead as he squints through the heavy blizzard. It's ridiculous how different the weather is compared to the cool forested area they just travelled through mere hours ago.

"I sense Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi interjects from Naruto's right. "And the others. It's faint but they're there."

Within a minute, they all catch sight of an outcrop of rocks, and as they circle around, they manage to catch a glimpse of an opening leading into a cave.

They all barrel forward, and Naruto, being in front of everyone else, steps within three feet of the entrance and almost gets skewered by a kunai to the face.

He yelps and slides under it just in time, and when he looks up, he finds Itachi looming over him, expression as poker-faced as ever but red eyes wilder than Naruto has ever seen them (which, granted, still isn't much and could be wholly contributed to the fact that his Sharingan is activated, but this is _Itachi_, enough said).

Itachi stows his kunai away the moment he recognizes them, and Naruto figures that maybe they should've flared their chakra signatures first, but the elder Uchiha is already extending a hand to help him up (and isn't _that_ just mind-boggling?), inclining his head in silent apology.

And then his gaze shifts to Sakura, intent enough to make her stiffen.

"Haruno-san, you are a medic?" It is less a question and more a statement as he gestures for them to follow him inside, never mincing his words. "Rei-san has fallen ill; we would appreciate your assistance in healing him."

Or rather, as Naruto and probably everyone else can hear, Sakura _better_ heal him or heads would roll. None of them miss the surreptitious note of distressed tension underlying the usually unflappable Uchiha's voice, which would probably be equivalent to full-blown hysteria in anyone else.

It only serves to heighten Naruto's apprehension even more.

Sakura is kind enough to pretend she doesn't notice it though, and she only nods and hurries forward as they reach the inner cavern.

"Finally," Hidan gripes as soon as he sees them, Kisame scowling from beside him. "What the fuck did you heathens do, fall asleep on the way here?"

That isn't really fair, seeing as they were planning to meet up in Shimogakure and not in the middle of nowhere, nor were they told that Yuurei has fallen sick, but nobody cares enough to pick a fight with Hidan over it when they catch sight of Yuurei lying curled up in a pile of blankets next to Jiraiya, shivering even under so many layers.

Naruto rushes forward, skidding to his knees by Yuurei's head as Sakura drops down on the older blond's free side.

"What happened?" Sakura demands, authority powering her voice as her hands tug away the blankets.

Itachi responds swiftly, answers clipped and succinct as if he was delivering an urgent report to the Hokage. "We were fighting several dozen Zetsu clones nine and a half hours ago. None of us were injured. An hour after that, Rei-san collapsed without cause, and he has been unconscious ever since. His temperature has steadily dropped until five hours ago. He has not gotten better, but he has not worsened either. He has no fever, we have checked for poison and found none, and he did not acquire so much as a scratch in our most recent battle."

Sakura pauses, hands glowing green even as her gaze flicks up to study Naruto. "Five hours? Naruto, you collapsed five hours ago."

"I didn't _collapse_," Naruto protests, distractedly sullen as he clumsily places a hand against Yuurei's forehead.

He doesn't expect what happens next.

The pain comes back like he has just run headlong into a brick wall, except this time, Naruto can feel the seal locking the Kyuubi away shift and unravel, but he doesn't even have time to call out a warning before the world abruptly goes black.

**XLIII.**

When Naruto opens his eyes again, his surroundings are glowing soft white, and for a few seconds, when he spots the man standing in front of him, he thinks it's Yuurei.

"Yuurei-san?" He clambers to his feet, squinting as his eyes adjust.

The man shakes his head, a hint of a smile tilting his lips. "Not quite."

Naruto blinks, eyesight clearing, and he realizes that this man is blond-haired and blue-eyed but he also has paler skin than Yuurei, slightly shorter hair, and is just a little slimmer, not to mention he's wearing a Konoha headband.

It takes him another heartbeat to realize that this is the Yondaime, and another heartbeat after that to connect that to Namikaze Minato, his _father_.

More specifically – _his_ father.

"Uh..." Naruto flounders for a moment. "Tou...-chan?"

The Yondaime – his _dad_ – nods, the smile growing just a bit, very fond and very sad at the same time.

Naruto feels his throat tighten. He doesn't really know what to do at this point. He's had Yuurei ruffle his hair and pull him into hugs several times and tuck him into bed when he was younger so he knows, to an extent, affection from a parental or older brother figure, but this is his dad whom he's never met, and he doesn't know how to act around him.

So he wracks his head and snatches up the most obvious topic. "So where am I? And where's Yuurei-san?"

His father shifts in place and looks a little disappointed but replies easily enough. "We're in your subconscious. When you touched... Yuurei just now, the Kyuubi instantly reacted, and the seal was set off. I designed it to allow an imprint of myself to appear in the event that the seal was about to break. It was a failsafe meant to protect... well, you."

Naruto swallows hard and tries to work out the conflicting emotions inside him. It isn't too hard because Yuurei sat him down a long time ago – shortly after the Yondaime was confirmed to be his father – and talked him through all the resentment and bitterness that Naruto had felt towards his own dad for sealing the Kyuubi inside him.

Yuurei's always been there for him since Naruto was twelve, come to think of it; it hasn't really sunk in until now when he's finally faced with one of the two people who should've been there to protect him and teach him and love him throughout his childhood.

"I'm sorry," His father interrupts his thoughts, and Naruto's head jerks back up to find the Yondaime watching him with sombre eyes. There's a million apologies in those eyes too, and suddenly, Naruto doesn't want to hear them; he doesn't have to because he's already forgiven all the ones that matter, and he doesn't want what little time they have to be spent on regrets.

So even if he still feels a touch of hurt and melancholy, Naruto still manages to plaster a genuine grin on his face as he waves a dismissive hand in the air. "Don't worry about it; I understand. Yuurei-san explained things to me a long time ago, and he let me spar against him all I wanted when I was pissed at first."

His father looks taken aback by the abrupt change in mood, but the fondness returns and Naruto secretly basks in it.

"So where is he anyway?" Naruto prompts before things can get sappy and awkward. "Yuurei-san I mean. And I've touched him before and nothing happened then; why did the Kyuubi react this time?"

His dad hesitates before shaking his head. "I'm afraid I can't answer that; I'm not entirely certain of all the details myself, and it's not something for me to tell anyway. Yuurei will tell you when he feels that the time is right. The touching thing shouldn't be a problem again though. Most likely."

Naruto scratches his head but doesn't push. It sounds like one of those things that Yuurei promises he will eventually reveal but hasn't yet, and if it's Yuurei's secret, then Naruto understands his dad's reticence.

"But where is he?" Naruto asks a third time. "Or can he not come into my subconscious even though he was probably affected by the Kyuubi or whatever?"

His father looks thoughtful as he glances around. "No, he should be here, not to mention the Kyuubi as well. I was expecting interruptions from the fox. I assume Yuurei is on his way though."

Naruto peers curiously up at the older blond. "Who is he anyway? Yuurei-san never gives me a straight answer. Is he your brother? Your cousin? Your nephew?"

His dad stills then, and something a lot like grief and helpless rage crosses his face, bottomless and heart-wrenching, and it sends a chill down Naruto's spine. "Tou-chan?"

The Yondaime stirs and summons another smile, but this one doesn't quite reach his eyes. "No, none of those, Naruto. He _is_ a Namikaze though, just as much as you are."

There is something strange in the way his father says that, but Naruto is sufficiently distracted when a golden light flashes on his left several feet away, shining for a brief moment before fading away and revealing Naruto's mentor.

"Yuurei-san!" Naruto beams and flocks over to the man's side because it has been a damn long time (well, not really; it's just been a little over three months, but still). "Are you okay? Why did you collapse? Everyone's worried! Itachi almost stabbed me before he realized who I was! I swear, that guy thinks he's your personal bodyguard or something!"

A hand on his head shuts him up, and Naruto throws a long-suffering look at his mentor when the man proceeds to ruffle his hair. Jeez, it's a little embarrassing too, what with his dad being _right there_.

"Itachi can be somewhat overprotective," Yuurei says mildly, features looking a little drained but overall still the same. "You've seen as much from his rather unhealthy obsessive streak with Sasuke."

Naruto makes a face. Oh yeah, Itachi killed his entire clan for Sasuke.

He shakes his head and glances back at where his father is standing, watching them with an unreadable gaze.

"Oh, Yuurei-san, you know this is my old man," Naruto knows Yuurei already knows this but he still takes some pleasure in being able to introduce his dad as_ his dad_. He tugs his mentor over, who seems just shy of reluctant as he pads after Naruto.

There's a long moment of stilted silence, and just when Naruto is beginning to think that there's been some bad blood between them in their family history somewhere, Yuurei dips his head courteously and murmurs, "Yondaime-sama."

Even Naruto does a double-take because Yuurei isn't that politely distant with _anyone_, not even Tsunade who's the Hokage – his mentor always slips up and calls her 'Baa-chan' in the end, and Tsunade's given up changing the moniker as a bad job.

On the other hand, Naruto's father looks pained, and he takes a step forward. It makes Yuurei stiffen.

"Don't be like that," Naruto's dad says quietly, and it's both a command and a plea at the same time.

Yuurei's lips thin. "Well I can hardly call you anything else. ...You saw. I know you did. All my memories."

Naruto has no idea what they're talking about but his dad only nods. "They transferred over when the seal reacted to you. Not all of it, but enough for me to get the general picture."

Yuurei sighs, sounding even more exhausted than he looks as he runs a hand through his hair. "That shouldn't have happened. It should've only gone to the Kyuubi. But my soul isn't..."

He trails off and glances at Naruto, an odd look on his face. "Naruto, when we get out, you should try talking to the Kyuubi. I've had a little chat with him myself; he should be more cooperative now."

Naruto blinks, and then his jaw drops. "Eh? You _talked_ to the Kyuubi? Without it trying to kill you?"

The odd look returns, accompanied by a faint smile. "The Kyuubi would never try to kill me. He couldn't, anyway."

Naruto doesn't know where his mentor's confidence comes from. "That damn fox is always so violent though!"

Yuurei shrugs. "You'd be violent too if you spent your life being transferred from one prison to another."

Naruto's eyes widen at this revelation but Yuurei doesn't give him a chance to ponder on it any further as he pushes him forward.

"Better fix the seal," Yuurei advises, turning back to the Yondaime again. "There's not much time left."

Naruto's father nods, conflicting emotions flitting like quicksilver across his face, but he concentrates on Naruto once more and works on his seal instead.

"I'm proud of you, Naruto," His dad says when he straightens. A gentle hand drops on his head, an echo of Yuurei's gesture earlier. "Everything you've endured, everything you've done to protect your loved ones, everything you've achieved – neither I nor your mother could ask for a better son."

A lump rises in Naruto's throat again, and he isn't quite sure who steps forward first but his father's arms are suddenly tight around him and Naruto's hands are clutching at the back of the haori that his dad is wearing.

When Naruto pulls away, he feels the sting of tears in his eyes and he hastily swipes a sleeve over them before sniffing and glancing up at his dad, who's looking just a little bright-eyed himself as he smiles warmly down at Naruto.

Naruto clears his throat (man, this family reunion thing is one emotional embarrassment), and then automatically turns to look for Yuurei. He's unexpectedly struck by how lonely his mentor looks, shoulders slightly slumped and standing by himself off to the side, staring avidly at the ground as if it is the most interesting thing he has ever seen.

"Yuurei-san?" Naruto calls out, hoping to erase the expanse that suddenly seems to yawn wide between them.

His mentor stirs and glances up, gaze carefully impassive. "Done? We should get go-"

Yuurei stops abruptly, breath hitching and his entire frame going rigid because Naruto's dad is suddenly standing in front of him, barely half a foot separating them, and before Yuurei can even think about backing away, the Yondaime has reached out, snaked an arm around Naruto's mentor, and guided him forward with a firm hand splayed against his back, pressing the younger of the two against him in a fierce, almost desperate hug.

Standing beside each other, Naruto realizes that Yuurei stands maybe an inch and a half taller than the Yondaime, and while he's also slightly broader in the shoulders, Yuurei still somehow looks smaller, hunched up and stiff with his arms frozen at his side as Naruto's father wraps his other arm around Yuurei's lower back and tightens the one-sided embrace as if he's trying to convey every emotion he is feeling with that one gesture.

Naruto watches, and confusingly enough, unbidden tears well up in his eyes. He can't explain why he feels so miserable all of a sudden, but he chalks it up to the fact that Yuurei doesn't seem to know how to return the affection (His mentor's always been like that; Yuurei is good at caring about people but Naruto's noticed that he sucks at receiving it. Naruto's hugs for Yuurei are always preceded by hesitant flailing before the man relaxes enough to return them.).

Naruto's father says something to Yuurei, voice pitched too low for Naruto to hear, but whatever it is cuts the invisible strings holding Yuurei back, and in the next second, his mentor all but sags against the Yondaime, his forehead falling forward to rest against the older blond's shoulder.

Naruto's dad only holds him closer, one hand rising to run through Yuurei's yellow locks like he's a child needing comfort.

Naruto says nothing, staying as still and silent as he could manage and barely even breathing because this is the very first time in all the years he's known Yuurei that he's seen his mentor break down.

Not the weeping sort of breakdown that Sakura used to have (and still does on occasion if he is honest, but he's never gonna say that out loud if he doesn't want to be beheaded or smashed into the ground or something equally suicidal), but the air around them feels just as intense.

Naruto's father holds Yuurei like he's something precious and fragile and near-shattering, and Yuurei just lets him, soaking up all the love that the Yondaime is offering like it's the only thing that'll keep him going.

But when they finally pull back from each other, Yuurei slips seamlessly back into the man that Naruto has always known – strong, calm, and emotionally subdued – and Naruto hates it because for the first time, this persona doesn't look like it fits his mentor.

Naruto doesn't have any time to remark on it though because the world trembles around them and the light grows increasingly bright.

"I love you," Naruto's father says almost urgently, and he looks at Naruto first, quiet pride in his expression, and despite the situation, Naruto doesn't have to try as he grins back openly.

The Yondaime begins to lose colour, but he manages to stare hard at Naruto once more as if to memorize his features one last time before shifting his attention over to Yuurei and taking him in with an almost hungry gaze.

"I love you," Naruto's father repeats, focus darting between them. "Both of you."

And then the light becomes blinding and Naruto is forced to close his eyes as it washes over them like a breaking wave.

**XLIV.**

Naruto wakes with a gasp, shooting up into a sitting position and then reeling back in pain when his head smacks against Sakura's, who swears a litany of curses that Naruto doesn't know where she learned from.

"Naruto!" Sakura snaps, but it isn't to yell at him for inadvertently hitting her. "Are you alright? What happened? Your seal flared up but it reformed again almost instantly-"

"I met my dad," Naruto croaks out, and he doesn't need a mirror to know how happy he looks. "He worked an imprint of himself into the design so that he'd appear just in case the seal was ever about to break. He fixed it."

Kakashi is very still in his crouched position beside him, and Jiraiya closes his eyes for a moment before opening them again and quirking a slight smile.

"Sounds like Minato," The Sannin says, nostalgia underlying his words. "Always prepared."

"I hate to interrupt this sob story," Hidan butts in impatiently, sounding anything but sorry. "But if the midget's fine, can we please concentrate on the fucking comatose guy, seriously?"

Naruto admits that the Jashinist has a point so he refrains from shooting a dirty look at the man as he cranes his head around to look at Yuurei.

Overall, his mentor looks a lot better. The man seems to be just sleeping now, and colour has rushed back into his features.

"I've checked his vitals," Sakura reports, frowning in puzzlement. "He's fine now. But I don't understand why he reacted to the Kyuubi when you touched him, Naruto."

Naruto rubs the back of his head as he scrambles for a plausible reason. "I'm not sure myself; Tou-chan says it shouldn't be a problem again though. Maybe it's a Namikaze thing?"

Sakura looks dubious, as does everyone else in the cave, but Jiraiya abruptly takes on a calculating expression as he glances between Naruto and Yuurei. He doesn't say anything though, busying himself with tucking the blankets closer around Yuurei's form instead.

Nobody presses further into the mystery because Naruto is honestly as clueless as the rest of them, so the subject is dropped, though, when Kisame prompts her, Sakura runs another checkup on Yuurei just in case.

"Well, if he's alright," Yamato speaks up for the first time since they arrived. "We should probably get some rest ourselves. We do have a mission to carry out."

There's a murmur of agreement, but as Naruto wraps a blanket around himself and huddles against Yuurei's side just in case something else happens to the man, he notices Itachi taking a seat near the cave entrance, no intent to sleep anywhere in his alert frame.

Surprisingly, Jiraiya does the same, settling himself opposite Itachi as the flickering light of the campfire throws dancing shadows over both of them.

It makes even Naruto feel safe though, and between one breath and the next, he falls asleep, and he dreams.

_He dreams of a Konoha with his father muddling through paperwork when Naruto pops in from the window to visit him. He dreams of his mother welcoming him home when he returns from a mission. He dreams of his godfather peeping on the women at the baths and getting beaten up for it. He dreams of Sasuke and Sakura and Kakashi, and even Yamato and Sai, all of them his teammates, all of them beside him as he takes on the world._

_And he dreams of a brother in the form of his mentor, eyes bluer and brighter without the haunted shadows that Naruto's never been able to get rid of, a brother who has friends of his own in the village and is that much happier with his life. Yuurei still tousles his hair in greeting when they meet up for spars and ramen (because it's their favourite food), and they argue over who will become Hokage between them, and Yuurei teases him over his rivalry with Sasuke and his cluelessness when it comes to girls, and Naruto retaliates with creative pranks and good-natured insults, and- and-_

And when Naruto wakes up in the morning, he isn't surprised to find tears leaking from the corners of his eyes, nor is he surprised to feel the aching happiness mixed with wistful what-could've-been's in his chest.

Kakashi is the only one who sees him crying, but the man just looks at him like he _understands_, at least a little, and he's decent enough to refrain from commenting on it as he shields Naruto from a yawning Sakura's view until he can pull himself together again.

It's the best dream Naruto has ever had, but at the same time, he hopes he will never have it again. It doesn't do to live in an idealistic world after all, and forget about all the things he already has in real life.

**XLV.**

Yuurei wakes up about an hour after everyone else does, and Naruto, along with everyone else sans Jiraiya, watches in thorough bemusement at the way Hidan snarks scathing insults at him with an undercurrent of concern while Kisame fusses over the blond in a subtle but creepily mother-hen-ish manner.

Itachi – and there's really only one word for it – _hovers_. The Uchiha drifts at Yuurei's right elbow, a slight crease in his brow as he all but caters to Yuurei's needs without the blond ever opening his mouth to request anything. Change of clothes, flak jacket, weapons, seals, breakfast – the Sharingan-wielder only stops short of actually rolling up Yuurei's bedding for him, and Naruto would put money down on Itachi doing that too if it isn't for Yuurei's arched eyebrow and exasperated headshake.

Of course, Itachi somehow makes it all look perfectly natural, but there's a subconscious edge of disquiet in his movements, almost as if some part of the Uchiha is worried – Naruto wouldn't go so far as to say _afraid_ – that Yuurei may leave him behind the moment Itachi no longer proves to be of any use.

And it makes Naruto wonder just how much pressure Itachi was once under, pressured by Danzou and the Hokage and his entire clan, loyalties and wants pulled in three different directions and finally having to choose something like massacring his own family just to save the one person he loves most, and then to have that same person dedicate their every waking moment to murdering him in return.

And then, after that trauma, infiltrating Akatsuki can't have been a picnic. With his loyalties divided there, Itachi wouldn't want to get too close with his temporary comrades, all of whom he would have to betray eventually to protect a village who thought him a traitor.

(And on hindsight, that convoluted sense of absolute loyalty is exceedingly terrifying.)

If not for Yuurei coming along and throwing everything upside-down, dragging Itachi under his wing and giving the Uchiha someplace to belong...

Well, Naruto just thinks that the genius has spent a disgustingly long time alone. Hell, if he's reading everything correctly, then Itachi once planned for Sasuke to kill him, and the elder Uchiha would've probably died alone without a single soul beside him to care about his passing.

No fucking wonder Itachi's so attached to Yuurei.

So when Sai makes a passing, tactless remark about servants and maid outfits (because the moron is just _that_ socially inept), Naruto puts him in a friendly chokehold and makes everyone laugh so that their attention is redirected away from Itachi.

It's the least he can do, and Yuurei quirks a small, grateful smile in his direction afterwards, which Naruto just returns with a grin.

Nobody ever said he can't learn tact when he needs to.

**XLVI.**

Naruto is sulking.

Why?

Because _his_ mentor is sparring against someone else, and not any someone else either; he's sparring against _Lee_.

Naruto must've pissed somebody off in a past life, because clearly, someone up there hates him.

He has nothing against Lee, really, or Gai for that matter; they're good people, good allies, and good friends. He can even stand the green spandex so long as they don't try to get him to wear it.

But Yuurei's never trained with anyone other than Naruto before, and watching it happen is just a little... annoying.

Especially when Yuurei's ordered _him_ to meditate.

_Meditate_. Seriously.

They've travelled away from Frost, only stopping a few times until they reached the lush forests near Takigakure. All of them figure that it would be best to have any confrontations with Sasuke well away from Lightning, not to mention Sakura has insisted on leaving such a cold country because she's still worried about Yuurei having a relapse.

They've set up camp in a cavern under a waterfall, but the sun is shining and the surrounding clearing is perfect for lazing around and training.

And that's when Lee decides that it would be a good idea to encroach on Naruto's territory.

_"I have heard of your utter youthfulness from Naruto-kun! Please spar with me, Yuurei-san!"_

Naruto makes a face at the very thought. To make matters worse, Yuurei actually_ accepted_, and now Lee looks to be having the time of his life as Yuurei effortlessly keeps up with the taijutsu specialist, strong enough to push Lee to his limits but watered down so that the Chuunin doesn't get his ass kicked in seconds.

And as luck would have it, everyone else is watching with keen interest; even Neji looks like he wants to jump in and replace Lee in the spar.

_**"Would you concentrate, you damn brat? I don't have all day."**_

Oh yeah, and there was that too.

"Oh shut up!" Naruto screws his eyes shut and slips back into the seal where the Kyuubi is confined behind bars. "I don't get why you're suddenly willing to help me. What if this is a trick?"

_**"You think I'd waste time planning something as complicatedly elaborate as that?"**_The Kyuubi scoffs, eyes gleaming in the darkness. _**"It would probably fly right over your head anyway. Besides, I'm not asking you to unlock anything just yet; you can't handle my power in the first place. But I can lend you more of my chakra, and the sooner you learn to control that, the stronger you'll get."**_

"But why?" Naruto demands. "Why now? What did Yuurei-san say to you?"

The fox shifts and a soft snort echoes in the prison. _**"He didn't say anything to me; not much anyway. He dumped a crapload of memories into my head, not to mention a migraine to boot. When you do finally get around to letting me out, remind me to step on him, will you?"**_

"What?! No!" Naruto bristles defensively, but there is less heat in his voice than there should be because the Kyuubi doesn't sound particularly angry or offended, just sort of... huffy.

"To both!" He tacks on for good measure. "I'm not letting you out!"

The Kyuubi just chuckles and settles down again. _**"Oh, you'll change your mind soon enough. Don't worry, brat; I'm not looking to take over anymore. You'll grow up to be a very... intriguing human. It will be interesting to see the differences."**_

And Naruto is officially lost, but he doesn't bother nagging the fox for answers because he's already tried that and the Kyuubi has refused to give him a straight one. The damn fox is a lot like Yuurei in that.

_**"Now come on!"**_ The Kyuubi barks, flicking an irritated ear in Naruto's direction. _**"Channel my chakra already; I want to get back to my nap before I die of old age or something."**_

As they dissolve into arguments once more, Naruto realizes that the damn fox has a really infuriating penchant for sarcasm.

Just his luck.

**XLVII.**

When Naruto finally does get around to working with the Kyuubi instead of taking turns biting each other's heads off, it takes him several hours inside the seal as he outwardly meditates, allowing the red chakra to envelope his body as he works at keeping it under his control.

By the time he opens his eyes, night has fallen, and he is so hungry he could eat a bear.

Fortunately, he can smell rabbit cooking over a campfire, and his friends make room for him when they see that he's finished meditating at last.

Naruto's halfway through wolfing down his dinner before he realizes that Lee and Neji are conked out on the side, both out cold and looking tired even when asleep.

"What the heck happened to them?" Naruto asks after swallowing a large mouthful.

Tenten releases a resigned sigh. "Those two idiots got into a huge competition when Yuurei-san handed Lee's ass back to him. Lee said Neji couldn't get five hits in against Yuurei-san and it just descended into chaos from there. They ended up working themselves to exhaustion."

She jabs a finger over her shoulder to where Yuurei and Itachi are standing on one of the boulders in the lake, any words they are sharing lost under the roar of the waterfall. "And Yuurei-san barely worked up a sweat. Your teacher's hellishly strong, Naruto."

Naruto grins and gives her a thumbs-up. "Of course! He's _my_ teacher after all! He's the best!"

Jiraiya whacks him over the head. "And what do you call me? I don't see you defending my skills so ardently."

Naruto gives him the look this deserves. "You're a pervert; you don't count."

Jiraiya pulls himself up and strikes a ridiculous pose. "I'm not a pervert! I'm a _super_ per- ow!"

Splash!

Naruto chokes on a mouthful of water, sputtering with laughter as Yuurei appears in a flash of Hiraishin and promptly kicks Jiraiya into the lake. Itachi materializes a moment later with Shunshin and they both sit down in the newly-vacated spot as Naruto slides over between snickers to accommodate them.

Across from them, Gai grins, looking highly entertained, and Tenten and Sakura hide giggles behind their rice bowls. Beside Naruto, Sai and Yamato both smile, the former's faker than the latter's but there was amusement in both their eyes. Kakashi, sprawled out between Gai and Yamato, glance up from his Icha Icha with an eye-smile of his own, and the crinkle at the corner of his eye told Naruto that it is a genuine expression. On Itachi's other side, Kisame snorts at Jiraiya's misfortune while Hidan outright cackles, taking obvious delight in the Sannin's soaked, grumpy appearance as the man surfaces, white hair matted to his skull.

Naruto can get used to this.

"Yuurei!" Jiraiya hollers as he clambers out of the water and flops back onto dry land. "You _brat_! I swear you're worse than Naruto!"

Yuurei rolls his eyes. "Don't be a baby; it's just a little water."

Jiraiya glowers at him behind wet bangs. "You're not the one soaked to the bone."

Yuurei's mouth twitches like he wants to laugh, but as always, the blond suppresses it. Naruto wonders if it's become second nature, which is kinda sad.

Instead, his mentor curls his hands into a seal and then claps them together. At first, nothing happens, but then Naruto feels the wind shift, the currents doing an about-face as they combine with Yuurei's chakra and gambol over to a stunned-looking Jiraiya, winding around the Sannin until the man is as dry as he was before Yuurei dumped him into the lake.

Yuurei's chakra recedes and the wind returns to its natural cool evening breeze.

Naruto isn't the only one who has to scrape his jaw off the ground. The only ones who don't seem surprised are the former Akatsuki members; Itachi, Kisame, and Hidan only look highly amused at their expense.

"We should get an early night's sleep," Yuurei remarks lightly as he stands, and there's a rare light of boyish mischief in his eyes when he glances at the fading stupefied looks around him, something that Naruto has always preferred over the typically neutral gaze.

"Naruto," Yuurei glances down at him, and Naruto instinctively straightens. "Tomorrow, after breakfast, I'd like to assess you."

Naruto does a double-take. "Eh? Assess me?"

Yuurei nods, and the humour from before ebbs. "It's been a while since we've properly sparred. I'll put up seals around this clearing so that we can go all-out without disturbing the other areas and drawing attention. You talked to the Kyuubi?"

Naruto quickly nods, excitement already spiking inside him. He hasn't fought Yuurei in _forever_, not since they all returned from his training trip with Jiraiya.

"Good," Yuurei tilts his head and his gaze grows more intense. "You'll need it. Don't pull any stops tomorrow. Throw everything you have at me."

Naruto's eyes widen. "Even my Rasenshuriken? Even the Kyuubi's chakra? Even _Sage Mode_?"

"Everything," Yuurei repeats, and his eyes gleam like blue fire bathed in moonlight. "Don't worry, Naruto. You're still ten years too early to even think about defeating me."

Naruto leaps to his feet and grins. "Hah! Fine! And when I kick your ass tomorrow, you'll have to take back every word!"

It's a bluff; they both know it, but Naruto gets fired up at challenges like this, and Yuurei only smiles back, a hint of satisfaction in his features.

Tomorrow's fight will be _epic_.

**XLVIII.**

They have an audience.

Of course they do; Naruto would be surprised if they don't, but Itachi, Kisame, and Hidan are already sitting in a nearby tree that has a good view of the clearing, Sai, Sakura, Tenten, Lee, and Neji are all gathered on a giant boulder at the edge of the lake, and Yamato, Kakashi, Gai, and Jiraiya are stationed on another boulder. All are watching them closely and Naruto's still warming up. Even Kakashi's Icha Icha is nowhere to be seen.

Naruto finishes up his stretches as Yuurei shrugs off his flak jacket and hands it over to Itachi before returning to the middle of the clearing.

Inside himself, Naruto feels the fox shift and its voice rumbles in his head. _**"You better not lose too badly, brat."**_

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, damn fox," Naruto mutters back as he keeps a wary eye on his mentor.

"Ready, Naruto?" Yuurei cocks his head, eyes glinting almost demonically with how focused they suddenly seem. Naruto thinks there's something different about his mentor today, and he's proven right in the next second.

Yuurei raises his hands and forms the same seal as he did last night. "I won't be holding back quite as much as I have been in the past. Stay alert. And do try to dodge."

And then the world explodes.

A funnel of pure wind chakra rips its way across the clearing straight towards Naruto, and Naruto barely manages to dive out of the way with a rather unmanly shriek before the attack screams past him in a howling torrent of air, leaving behind a deep furrow in the ground like some giant monster has dragged a claw through the earth.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" He shouts just in time as Yuurei appears above him in the blink of an eye and plunges downward with a fully-formed Rasengan in hand. Naruto scrambles underground as his clones cover his back, and he winces as he feels all of them being systematically eviscerated in a matter of seconds.

Yuurei wasn't kidding when he said he wouldn't be holding back as much.

Naruto yelps and almost inhales a mouthful of dirt when something wraps around his ankle and forcefully yanks him back out, flinging him into the sky and sending him soaring into the waterfall. He grits his teeth and flicks out several more clones to cushion his back and stop his momentum before hurtling forward again, sprinting around the clearing with his fastest Shunshin as Yuurei dogs him without effort.

"What are you doing, Naruto?" Yuurei calls out almost mockingly as they zoom past the boulder where Yamato, Kakashi, Gai, and Jiraiya are sitting. Yuurei is level with Naruto now though he makes no move to attack. "Are you just going to run?"

Naruto mentally curses because – goddamnit – he can't do anything _but_ run. He's always known that Yuurei has been holding back with him, but if this is his mentor when he's only holding back _a little less_ _than before_, Naruto truly shudders at just how powerful Yuurei would be when he's _not_ holding back at all.

It's just a little frightening to imagine.

"Stop daydreaming, kid!" Yuurei rebukes sharply, and before Naruto can blink, a kick to his stomach sends him crashing backwards once more, smashing through two trees before he manages to flip himself around and skid to a stop beside the rock that his friends are sitting on, panting for breath as he presses a hand against his stomach.

Ouch, that hurt.

"I'm disappointed," Yuurei remarks from across the clearing, hair and clothes whipping in the air with the force of his manifested wind chakra. "Have you actually gotten _worse_, Naruto?"

Naruto flinches. Disappointing his mentor is one thing he never wants to do.

"Oi, Naruto!" Sakura yells from above. Naruto glances up briefly and finds her peering down at him with crossed arms and glaring green eyes. "What do you think you're doing?! You're getting your ass kicked! Get with the program! What happened to Konoha's Number One Unpredictable Ninja, huh?!"

"You can do it, Naruto-kun!" Lee gives him a blinding grin. "Your youthfulness has always burned brightly!"

Tenten only gives him a supportive smile while Sai retains a bland expression but holds up a sketch of Naruto being beaten over the head by a monstrous-looking Sakura with 'If You Lose' written above it (it makes Naruto sweatdrop), and Neji gives him a cool onceover but nods almost encouragingly at him, which is basically the equivalent of raucous cheering from anyone else.

Naruto huffs a bit and fights down a flush of happy embarrassment. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Just watch me!"

He turns back to where Yuurei is waiting. _Just watch me._

"Taijuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" And as hundreds of clones flood the clearing and bombard Yuurei all at once, Naruto backs away and hides himself underground again, concentrating his chakra and reaching for Sage Mode as his lookalikes buy him time.

Naruto isn't surprised when he bursts out of the ground, chakra blades in hand, and finds Yuurei calmly dispatching the last of his clones, though judging by the faces of their audience, it was a hell of a sight to watch.

Yuurei doesn't wait for Naruto to attack though. Instead, between one heartbeat and the next, his mentor flashes behind him and lashes out with a kunai.

This time, Naruto is ready for him.

Naruto whirls and brings up one of his chakra blades to meet his mentor's weapon. Metal rings against metal in a scatter of sparks, and then they're both in the air and clashing once more, parrying and thrusting and deflecting in a blur of arms and legs and chakra.

For Naruto, it's exhilarating, because even when they land back on the ground and rush at each other from there, it still feels like he's flying when all he can rely on are his instincts as Yuurei pushes him to his limits and then right past those as well.

"Much better," Yuurei compliments in between blows, and Naruto grins with pride. "Let's take it up another notch then, shall we?"

And before Naruto can reply, Yuurei flips back, vaulting high into the air, and two Rasenshuriken are suddenly blazing in his mentor's hands.

Naruto swears and hops backwards, narrowly dodging the first and taking the second against his arm, suffering a deep gash that would've probably taken his arm off if Naruto hasn't managed to replace himself with a clone halfway through so that it takes the brunt of the assault instead.

Two Rasenshuriken at the same time. Naruto could only manage one, and even that takes time to form!

And if Yuurei is anything in a fight, it's relentless. Naruto doesn't even have time to gather his thoughts before his mentor is bearing down on him again, all intensity and resolve as he slams an elbow into Naruto's chest before following it up with a pivot-kick that tumbles him through some nearby shrubbery.

_**"Use my chakra, you empty-headed fool!"**_ The Kyuubi bellows. _**"I hate losing! At the very least, put up a good fight!"**_

Naruto spits out a mouthful of leaves and then frantically rolls to the side as Yuurei's fist comes down, missing him by half an inch and cracking against the ground instead. The strike doesn't break up the ground like Sakura's punches do but the wind chakra that Yuurei has been unleashing without pause ever since the start of their match tears up the surrounding grass and soil, leaving behind a deep groove in the shape of a whirlwind-like circle.

Ducking away from an uppercut that probably would've broken his jaw, Naruto scuttles away and summons the Kyuubi's chakra. As reluctant as he still is to use it, the damn fox is right – he needs to go all out if he wants to at least put up a good fight.

Crimson chakra snakes out around him in tendrils, and paired with his Sage Mode, Naruto manipulates his wind chakra as well and forms a Rasenshuriken of his own, the four-point Rasengan taking on a reddish tinge as the Kyuubi's chakra bleeds into it as well.

But it's not going to work; Naruto knows this without even needing to turn around. He knows that Yuurei is already charging at him, and his mentor will simply evade Naruto's strongest attack before taking him down too.

And Naruto would like to end this spar with at least one landed blow against Yuurei, thank you very much.

In the fractions of a second as Yuurei rapidly approaches, Naruto's mind races for some sort of trump card, some sort of surprise that may just take his mentor off guard.

There is one, but it's dangerous, and Yuurei will probably bite his head off afterwards, and that's only if Naruto doesn't mess it up bad enough that it critically injures him or worse.

But if he doesn't try now then the battle is over and Naruto will always wonder what-if, and he really, really, _really_ wants to get at least one strike against his mentor. Naruto's _never_ been able to do that before.

So he takes a steadying breath and reaches for one of the special kunai that he has been fiddling with for a while now, ever since Yuurei started to teach him how to make the proper seal, and he lets it fly behind him as he spins around himself to face his mentor.

As expected, Yuurei dodges it easily, a puzzled frown already forming at the seemingly bad throw. The man has a Rasenshuriken of his own, the same as Naruto's except for the fact that it is rotating swiftly with eight points instead of four, and looks about a hundred times stronger.

Naruto runs through the list of pointers Yuurei gave him one last time (_concentrate on where you're going, don't let your mind wander, take a deep breath, take a step, just like you're walking_), and then-

"Hiraishin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouts, and he only has time to catch Yuurei's widening eyes before he is gone, a funny squeezing feeling around his middle as his body is yanked away. For a nanosecond, Naruto almost panics, his mind filling with _ohshitwhatifImessedup_ before he is clumsily deposited in the middle of the air, freefalling and with his Rasenshuriken still whirling in his right hand.

He is more than a little disoriented but he still has the presence of mind to grit his teeth and twist around, not even waiting to catch sight of Yuurei before he hurls the Rasenshuriken downwards in a blind, all-or-nothing, hit-or-miss, final assault.

The ground detonates with the force of the attack, and Naruto is sent tumbling head over heels through the air from the recoil of wind chakra combined with the Kyuubi's chakra and boosted by his Sage Mode. It feels like the very foundations of the earth shakes, and Naruto's limbs are suddenly too heavy to even try to stop his fall, so it's lucky that he drops down in a still grassy area, crashing to a stop with an only mildly painful thunk as he attempts to shield his eyes from the light and dust and broken bits of debris.

It takes several long minutes for the thunderous noise to die down, and Naruto manages to struggle into a sitting position as he slips out of Sage Mode and the Kyuubi's chakra recedes, growing increasingly anxious by the second when Yuurei doesn't appear.

What if he has actually done some serious damage to his mentor? Yuurei's strong, but the Rasenshuriken _was_ unexpected, and if it hit...

From where he's sitting, Naruto can just make out the former Akatsuki perched in their tree. Even from here, he can see Itachi's Sharingan activated as the Uchiha's eyes narrow against the billowing cloud of dust.

Behind him, his friends and sensei are all squinting into the wreckage as well. Kakashi's Sharingan is uncovered too, which is the only warning Naruto gets – a slight widening of the man's left eye – before a rain of kunai snags his clothing, jerks him clean off the ground, and pins him to the rock at his back.

"Aw, crap," Naruto mutters, squirming futilely against the weapons restraining his movements. He gives up as the last of the dust clears, blinking at the sole figure in the middle of the clearing instead.

Yuurei is on his feet, no sign of near-collapsing anywhere as he idly twirls a kunai in his right hand. His left arm however, from bicep to wrist, looks like someone has put it through a blender. The sleeve is completely shredded, and wet lines of crimson trickle from the numerous messy lacerations running along his arm, staining the man's left hand as blood drips from his fingers.

Naruto is proud and guilty in equal measure. The injury's not critical, _and he got a hit_, but it does look rather painful.

And then Yuurei begins walking towards him and Naruto gulps. His mentor's face is far too blank to tell what he's thinking.

The clearing remains hushed as Yuurei comes to a stop in front of Naruto. The kunai continues to twirl, its movements almost lazy between his mentor's deft fingers.

"Ah-ha," Naruto manages sheepishly as Yuurei slowly stoops forward so that they are at eye-level. "Um... surprise? Er... A- Are you angry?"

Yuurei stares straight into his eyes, blue gaze narrowing. Naruto braces himself for a verbal lashing.

"...Impressive."

Naruto blinks. _Eh?_ "Eh?"

Yuurei straightens and a faint smile tilts his lips as he absently stows his kunai away. "I'm impressed; I didn't expect that, and there is very little I don't expect nowadays. Well fought, Naruto."

Naruto's jaw drops, and then he breaks out into a wide, shit-eating grin at the rare praise, beaming from ear to ear. "Haha! Yeah, I was pretty cool back there, wasn't I? And I totally pulled that combo move off; it was kickass! And there was-"

"_However._"

Naruto freezes at the silkily dangerous edge suddenly curling around Yuurei's every word. His mentor's smile is sharp and humourless and just this side of evil.

Oh shit.

"Ow!" Naruto yelps, wanting to clutch at his head where Yuurei has thumped him with his uninjured hand.

"_What_ did I tell you when I first started teaching you the Hiraishin?" Yuurei growls rhetorically, voice above his usual volume but not quite a shout either. "Didn't I warn you about using it before you finished learning it properly? You reckless idiot! You could've lost a limb! Especially since you decided to drag a Rasenshuriken along! You could've been literally ripped in half! And what if I had been an enemy? You wasted all that energy and I could've finished you off by now! Do you have any idea how lucky you are? Are you stupid? Where did you inherit these genes? Do you not use your brain at all? Do you have only air between your ears?!"

Naruto's ears are ringing by the time Yuurei finishes tearing him a new one, which is quite a feat because his mentor never actually yells at him, the man's voice raised only a few notches higher than normal. But Yuurei doesn't scold him much, so when he does, Naruto feels like the lectures actually blister him.

"Jiraiya, get your numskull of a godson down!" Yuurei orders before stalking away in a huff, veering over to where Itachi is already waiting with a medical kit.

Naruto grimaces as Jiraiya lands in front of him with an arched eyebrow, and then groans when the Sannin slaps him upside the head as well.

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Naruto gripes sullenly, scowling harder when he catches his friends hiding grins behind their hands at the dressing down he has received. "I won't do it again until I learn it properly; happy?"

Jiraiya scoffs but he begins yanking out the weaponry still pinning Naruto to the boulder. "Hardly, but I think Yuurei managed to get the message across so I'll skip the whole lecture I was going to dish out. Jeez, your recklessness knows no bounds."

Naruto glowers at him but he doesn't have the energy to hold a grudge because his legs fold under him as soon as his feet touch the ground, and all he wants to do is sleep now that his adrenaline has left his system. He's pretty sure at least two of his ribs are broken too, and he feels like he has bruises all over his body.

Jiraiya scoops him up though (like he's still a little _kid_), and Sakura sees to his wounds with gentle, proficient hands. Naruto's friends all remark on his prowess, though Sai calls him a human punching bag and Lee vows to become even stronger so that he can surpass Yuurei as well one day.

It's not even lunch yet but Naruto's already nodding off again, exhaustion washing over him and dragging him under.

Just before he falls asleep though, he feels more than sees Yuurei settle down beside him, fingers carding through his hair as a whispered "You've grown a lot, Naruto. I'm proud of you." reaching his ears.

It brings a smile to his face even as darkness sweeps him away.

**XLIX.**

They spend another day in their makeshift campsite before hitting the road again. The plan is relatively simple – Itachi merely needs to walk through a couple of towns and make sure the residents see him. Rumours travel faster than light after all.

Still, though the plan is simple, Naruto has thought that they would have to prepare, strenuously, for Sasuke's – and whoever else comes with him – imminent arrival.

As it turns out, this is not the case.

"Is this what you people did when you were staking out Orochimaru?" Naruto demands, not knowing whether to flail at the ridiculousness of the situation or facepalm. "Is this seriously how you operate?!"

Three missing-nins and his mentor all glance at each other before turning to him with collective deadpan stares.

"Yeah, pretty much," Kisame confirms, polishing off another stick of dango. "What, you think we've got protocols and regulations or something?"

"We ain't like you Konoha bitches," Hidan informs them with a sneer around his plate of takoyaki. "There's no need for us to _prepare_ ourselves or something to fuck up anyone who wants to screw with us."

Naruto really does flail a bit this time, feeling indignant. "But it's Sasuke!"

"I hate to break this to you," Hidan says with palpable relish as he leans forward to get his point across. "But Sasuke sucks."

Naruto automatically bristles, and beside him, Sakura scowls. Across the table, Itachi gives the immortal as much of the evil eye as expressionless Uchihas ever can. Apparently, the man doesn't like it when people insult his little brother.

Hidan ignores them all as he gestures at himself and the three people around him.

"Any one of us can take down the little runt," The Jashinist says, but, at Itachi's and even Yuurei's arched eyebrows, amends very reluctantly, "_Maybe_ me and Kisame together if he's quick enough to do some funky shit with his Jashin-damned Sharingan. I rather doubt it.

"But this?" He motions at everyone in general, all of them crowded around a table outside the small restaurant they've chosen to eat at. "We've got three S-class missing-nins, a Sannin, four Jounin, five Chuunin, and we even have the damn ghost, all to retrieve one angsty little brat who thinks that just because his family was killed way back when, his fucking issues are apparently worst than everybody else's so he _must_ have the right to throw the world's biggest goddamn tantrum and make life miserable for everyone around him. Gathering this many people just for _that_ is _beyond_ overkill."

Throwing his hands up in exasperation, Naruto scans the table. Kisame and Hidan are at the end, with Itachi on Kisame's other side and Yuurei beside him. Then there's Kakashi who isn't reading his porn for once and is instead enjoying his yakitori as his visible eye lazily observes the rest of them. Gai and Lee are youthfully going through about half a pound of taiyaki all by themselves while Neji and Tenten watch on with morbid fascination. Yamato and Jiraiya are discussing something or other with a plate of pork buns between them while Sai and Sakura are snacking on onigiri and watching Naruto watch them.

It is outrageously domestic.

"I mean," Hidan continues, apparently not finished now that he's on a roll. "Whirly-Eyes over here lost the same family, right?"

"'Whirly-Eyes' _killed_ that family," Naruto says flatly. Itachi's left eyebrow ticks up briefly like he really wants to either glare at Hidan or stick a kunai in him.

Hidan shrugs carelessly. "Worse for Itachi then, in my opinion. 'Sides, Sasuke got all whiny 'cause his family was mostly wiped out, and now his solution is to finish the job? Does he even plan ahead? What would he do after he hypothetically kills Itachi anyway? Not even Konoha's gonna be all that forgiving now that he's probably kicked off the next world war. Clan's gonna die out with him unless he finds some poor bitch to park it in, and that's only if whatever brats they have actually manage to worm their way back into your village's good graces."

He pauses to give Sakura a mocking leer that no one can mistake the meaning behind, and Sakura's face flushes with rage and humiliation and just the slightest hint of hurt, because once upon a time (and even to this day though not necessarily in the same way), she has always loved Sasuke. Perhaps it started shallow, but there's no doubt that the feeling's become deeper than that after they really became a team. Naruto knows this because he feels the same; he loves Sasuke like a brother, and he knows that he's not the only one who considers Team Seven a family.

So Naruto snarls and even Sai plasters on a faker smile than usual that means he's close to pissed but doesn't know how to express it. The artist doesn't know Sasuke, not really, but he does know Sakura, and he cares about her in his own emotionally awkward way.

"Hey, you shut your mouth!" Naruto barks furiously, ignoring the fact that what he's angry about most of all is what Hidan _hasn't_ said.

"_Hidan_," Yuurei cuts in at the same time, and some of Naruto's anger ebbs because his mentor's voice has taken on that chilly tone that says he's displeased, and that pushing any further is going to be a Grade A mistake with nasty consequences not far behind.

Hidan's jaw clenches, looking like Yuurei has physically zipped his mouth shut. For a long, tense moment that draws the attention of the rest of the table (hell, they were probably already looking over when Sakura's killing intent spiked earlier), Yuurei holds the missing-nin's gaze, unyielding and unforgiving, one that would've reduced anyone with less balls than the immortal to a gibbering mess.

Beside Hidan, Kisame's hands have become motionless and his expression is borderline spellbound as he watches the silent faceoff, and while Itachi doesn't so much as twitch, there's an odd, almost satisfied glint in his eyes.

And as Naruto's temper cools, he wonders if anyone has ever been able to heel the foul-mouthed Jashinist before. Judging by Kisame and Itachi's minute reactions, probably not.

"Fuck! Fine!" Hidan snaps at last, shifting just a little uneasily in his seat. "You know, Kakuzu never gave a damn what I said to anyone before, seriously."

"I'm not Kakuzu," Yuurei counters coolly and raises an adamant eyebrow.

Hidan grimaces and mumbles a few more choice swear words under his breath before glowering derisively at Sakura. "My apologies, Princess. Didn't fucking mean to walk all over your delicate sensitivities."

That's the best _anyone's_ going to get out of the Jashinist and the entire table knows it. It's shocking enough that Yuurei has managed to wring an apology out of Hidan in the first place.

Sakura's hands clench a couple times, and then, before Hidan can blink, she shoots up and decks him, punting him clean out of his seat and halfway across the street before blowing out an irritated breath and sitting down again.

"You're fucking forgiven, asshole," She growls as Hidan picks himself up off the ground and fills the street with obscenities.

Naruto whistles and surreptitiously inches away a little from his volatile teammate just in case she feels like taking her anger out on him. On her other side, Sai does the same; they've learned to have a healthy fear when it comes to the pink-haired medic's super strength.

Even Kisame looks faintly impressed, though probably less for her show of strength – something he's already seen before – and more for her guts at punching Hidan at all.

Hidan storms back over, looking like he wants nothing more than to whip out his scythe, but there's a spark of grudging respect in his gaze, gone in an instant as he sits back down again.

As the tension dissipates, leaving only Sakura and Hidan glaring at each other, Naruto makes a mental note to wheedle the story of just how Yuurei has managed to secure the lunatic's loyalty out of his mentor one day.

"Everything will be fine, Naruto," Yuurei interjects mildly once everyone is more or less settled down again. "Sit down and eat your lunch."

Naruto dithers for another second before heaving a sigh and plopping down into his seat with little grace. "Oh whatever; Sasuke won't attack us in the middle of a town anyway. Probably."

"Dunno; he might if Itachi's standing in it," Kisame remarks, but he doesn't seem all that concerned.

Naruto grimaces as he digs into the ramen he bought two stores down. Fish-Face has a point; Naruto wouldn't put it past the youngest Uchiha to storm an innocent town just to get to his brother.

Thirst for revenge combined with that Cursed Seal is making Sasuke crazier than ever.

Naruto sighs again, glancing up absently as he chews on a mouthful of ramen. He freezes when he catches sight of Yuurei's expression.

There is something dark and almost ominous in Yuurei's eyes, something a lot like hatred but not quite; something Naruto has never seen before.

What has brought this on? They were only talking about Sasuke.

Naruto is hesitant to call his mentor out on it though. While he's never seen Yuurei look like that before, it still reminds him a little too much of Yuurei's expression back when Sasuke first ran away with Orochimaru and Naruto confronted him about it.

Yuurei blinks and the look disappears. A moment later, Naruto is distracted by Jiraiya getting to his feet.

"Yuurei," The Sannin calls out, tone light as he steps around the table and tilts his head in the direction of one of the other benches several feet away. "A word?"

This garners the table's attention again as Yuurei glances up, features smoothed out once more. He nods once and rises to his feet as well, and the two of them retreat out of hearing range, still in plain sight as they stop at an empty table but voices lost amidst the bustle of the civilians around them.

Naruto's curiosity spikes but he manages to stop himself from attempting to eavesdrop because if Jiraiya doesn't notice him, then Yuurei will.

But he hasn't missed the pensive, speculative looks coming from his godfather for the past several days ever since that incident with Yuurei falling sick and meeting the Yondaime.

Like Jiraiya's figured something out and he doesn't particularly like what he's discovered. Like he almost wishes he hasn't found out at all.

It doesn't stop Naruto from peering at them though, and while they have their backs mostly turned to him and everyone else at his table, Naruto can still pick up the stiffening in Jiraiya's frame and the increasing agitation in his gestures. For some reason though, Yuurei still seems perfectly composed, or at least resigned to whatever Jiraiya's so bothered about.

Naruto abruptly chokes on his ramen when his godfather makes a long arm and hauls Yuurei to his feet by the collar of his flak jacket, all but shaking the blond as the Sannin rises to his full height.

And apparently, Naruto isn't the only one who has been watching them discreetly because Itachi's hand twitches for his kunai, Kisame aborts his move for another stick of dango and goes for his sword instead, and Hidan is already half out of his seat, looking less worried about Yuurei actually needing any of their help and more eager for a fight to break out so that he can join in.

Everybody else either makes startled sounds or tenses as they watch the impromptu altercation.

"Yuu-" Naruto starts, jumping to his feet, but sharp blue eyes slant over to them, the warning to stay put clear in that single glance.

Slowly, Naruto sits back down, and the three missing-nins linger in their seats as well, though none of them move their hands from their respective weapons.

In the next few minutes, Jiraiya and Yuurei trade several more indiscernible words, their exchange ending with the Sannin releasing Yuurei, something close to devastation in his features that is hastily suppressed before the man Shunshins away, chakra signature rapidly fading as he disappears from the vicinity.

Yuurei just calmly straightens his clothes before wandering back over, looking like nothing has happened at all.

"U- Um, Namikaze-san?" Tenten looks tentative at best. "Is- Is something wrong?"

Yuurei smiles at her but it looks tired more than anything else. "Call me Yuurei; 'Namikaze-san' is a bit long. And Jiraiya will be fine; he's just... He has some personal concerns to work out. He'll be back soon enough."

He pauses, gaze falling absently onto his mostly finished meal before looking up again. "I'm going to go for a walk.

"Alone, Itachi," He adds mildly when the Uchiha makes to get up.

Naruto is sure that in an entirely different dimension, the near unnoticeable crease in Itachi's brow means that the twenty-one-year-old man is sulking.

Probably out of reflex, Yuurei reaches out and ruffles Naruto's hair. "I'll meet you back at the inn, brat. See you later."

And with a last nod in their general direction, Yuurei Shunshins off, leaving only a whisper of wind behind.

Naruto sighs and suddenly doesn't feel all that hungry anymore. Instead of picking up his chopsticks again, he kneads his forehead and wonders why one of his most important people in the world also has to be the most secretive, hands down.

**L.**

Jiraiya does eventually come back, as does Yuurei, though the latter meanders into the inn that they're staying at several hours before the former. If Naruto hasn't seen the disagreement earlier, he would've thought that his godfather has gone to the local red-light district for some entertainment again.

When he finally does come back, Naruto, who is sharing a room with the Sannin, can't see anything amiss. Jiraiya looks about as carefree as usual, taunting Naruto about the lack of women in his life and writing more of his latest smut and grouching about Naruto using up all the hot water.

It doesn't get rid of Naruto's unsettled feeling though, and he stays awake long after even Jiraiya's breathing has evened out.

_After Sasuke_, Naruto promises himself as he stares up at the ceiling. _After we get Sasuke back and this whole Kumo thing blows over, I'll ask Yuurei-san directly. About this, and what Tou-chan said, and the Kyuubi; about everything._

**LI.**

The next morning, Naruto treks downstairs and into the main hall, and then promptly turns on his heel and dives out of sight again because it's a rare sight for Kakashi to be seen _anywhere_ before anyone else, yet the Copy-nin is already sitting in one of the booths in the attached dining area of the inn.

Across from him is Yuurei.

Back in Konoha, even during that time that Yuurei was hospitalized, Naruto has never seen Kakashi visit Yuurei even once, though he knows that the Copy-nin has been wanting to talk to Naruto's mentor since Yuurei first revealed himself.

Then again, to be fair, it wouldn't be Kakashi if the man isn't late for that too.

Naruto peeks around the corner again. His mentor and his former sensei don't seem to be talking at the moment so he supposes that they've already finished saying whatever they wanted to say, but there's a companionable air between them with Kakashi reading his Icha Icha and Yuurei sipping at a cup of tea.

Wavering for a moment longer, Naruto straightens and heads over to their table. Might as well; he's hungry anyway.

"'Morning, Yuurei-san! Kakashi-sensei!" He greets as he bounds up to them, slipping into the free seat beside Yuurei.

"Good morning, Naruto," Kakashi eye-smiles at him over the top of his book.

"Cheery today, aren't you?" Yuurei remarks, automatically tousling Naruto's hair.

Naruto swats the hand away and calls to one of the workers for some ramen, only to have Yuurei interrupt with a stern refusal and a pleasant "he'll have Order A with a side of salmon and pickles, and a bowl of miso soup, please" to the waiter.

Naruto huffs. "I like ramen more! And I hate vegetables!"

"You ate ramen yesterday," Yuurei admonishes. "And are you looking to stay at this height for the rest of your life?"

Naruto scowls indignantly and draws himself up. "That's the same thing you said two years ago! I'm a lot taller now than back then!"

Yuurei snorts. "I should hope so; it's been over two years. But I'm still taller."

Naruto eyes their height difference grumpily. "I'll catch up one day. You're even taller than Tou-chan, you know."

"Only by a bit," Yuurei says, forehead wrinkling in thought. "And I'm not taller than Jiraiya."

"No one's taller than Jiraiya," Naruto grumbles. "'Cept Fish-Face, but then nobody's taller than _him_. How old is that guy anyway?"

"Thirty-two," Yuurei reveals, reaching for his tea again. "Two years older than me."

"Eh?" Naruto blinks up at his mentor. "You're thirty? You're _Kakashi-sensei's_ age?"

Yuurei exchanges a rather wry look with Kakashi. "You make us sound so old, Naruto."

Naruto rubs the back of his head, grinning despite himself. "That's not what I meant; I just thought you were older than Kakashi-sensei; that's all."

Kakashi seems somewhat pleased. "Oh? Well, I suppose I do look younger than my age."

Naruto gives him a deadpan expression. "I wouldn't know, Sensei. Actually, I just meant that Yuurei-san is like ten times more mature than you are."

Kakashi's eye twitches. Yuurei chuckles.

And then there's a shout from the stairwell and the rest of Naruto's friends tumble into the hall, Neji looking like he's been up for hours without a single hair out of place, Lee as exuberant as ever, and the rest shuffling in still half-asleep as they chorus good-mornings all around. Their respective senseis bring up the rear, shrugging on their vests or coats.

As they all crowd into the dining area, Naruto scans the room before glancing back at Yuurei. "Hey, where are Itachi and the others?"

Naruto motions out the window with his cup. "Itachi woke up when I did; he volunteered to do a perimeter run of the town. Hidan and Kisame are out at the baths; there aren't many people there at this time so they won't have to hide their faces or use a henge."

Yuurei pauses, and then really frowns this time. "Actually, Itachi should be back by now. I was talking to Kakashi and lost track of time..."

Naruto feels his blood run cold even as Yuurei stands up, movements shifting from no-problem-relaxed to lethal-relaxed in the span of half a heartbeat. Across from them, Kakashi is already tucking his Icha Icha away, visible eye having momentarily widened in alarm as the implied situation sinks in.

"Hey, shut up!" Naruto hollers as he shoots to his feet as well, impending breakfast forgotten. The room shuts up as the gathering of Konoha-nins all turn as one to look at him. "Yuurei-san?"

Yuurei's frown only deepens as he stares out the window, senses probably stretching who knows how far as he searches for Itachi's chakra signature. The town's not that big, all things considered, but it would still take some skill to sense someone standing on the opposite side of town.

"Itachi's not here anymore," Yuurei says at last, vaulting out of his seat and onto a free patch of floor. "He's not in town, I mean. He's flaring his chakra just beyond the south border though, and I can sense Sasuke; I'll meet you there."

And without another word, Yuurei disappears in a flash of Hiraishin, leaving a frozen audience behind.

"Well what the hell are we waiting for?!" Naruto demands, leaping away from the table as well and mentally giving himself a pat on the back for packing up and grabbing his weapons from his room before coming down earlier. "I'm going on ahead!"

And ignoring Sakura's cry for him to "Wait! Are you just going to charge in there?", Naruto hightails it out of the inn, legs pumping as he dashes over the rooftops and towards the south border. If he concentrates, even he can feel it; not Itachi's signature but Naruto would know Sasuke's chakra anywhere, especially with the clogged murky feel of the Cursed Seal mixed in.

A whoosh of air beside him draws his gaze to the side, and he finds Kakashi sprinting alongside him, as focused as any shinobi on an S-rank mission. Seconds later, Naruto senses Sakura only several steps behind him, and then Yamato and Sai are there as well.

Naruto knows that the others aren't far behind, and while he knows he can depend on his friends to help him out, he still hopes that they'll stay out of this fight as much as possible.

Because this is Team Seven business; Sasuke is one of theirs, and it's Team Seven's job to bring him back.

**LII.**

"YOU LIAR!"

"Why the hell would I lie about something like this?!" Naruto bellows back for what's got to be the tenth time since his battle with Sasuke started.

The moment he and the rest of his teammates reaches the clearing where Yuurei and Itachi (who's thankfully none the worse for wear) are duking it out with Sasuke and his team (Naruto is not so sorry to say that he irrationally hates them all on sight), both of them pull out and Yuurei catches his eye for a fraction of a second, steady and encouraging and filled with absolute faith.

_He's all yours,_ Naruto almost hears. _Get him back._

Yuurei and Jiraiya has then proceeded to systematically set up seals around the clearing while Kisame, who arrives with Hidan a few minutes after Naruto arrives, sneers at the white-haired guy wielding a sword but refrains from engaging him even when the idiot challenges the missing-nin. Instead, with a rather chilly smile on his face and an expression even more wooden than usual, Sai and Yamato tag-teams him in a fight somewhere out of sight amongst the trees.

Sakura zeroes in on the redhead and the two females clash instantly, though from what Naruto has glimpsed, his teammate clearly has the upper hand.

The other guy with orange hair and darkened skin, and the bulkiest of the lot is taken by Kakashi. The Copy-nin isn't pulling any punches as his Sharingan is revealed and the two of them crash into each other with murderous intent. Typically, Kakashi likes to take his time and go at his own pace, but the entire forest area can feel the uncontrolled killing rage pouring off the orange-haired shinobi. Kakashi can't afford to taunt his opponent by pretending to be disinterested.

And then there's Sasuke.

Naruto's blurted out the entire story between blows and the bastard just won't accept it. Not that that's entirely surprising but it's still frustrating that the moron simply refuses to see the truth.

"Just get out of my way!" Sasuke screams at him, attempting a Chidori even as Naruto dodges it. "Do you _understand_ who you're protecting, Naruto?! He's a murderer! He murdered my entire family!"

"Oh shut up, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto snaps back irritably as he weaves around Sasuke's punches and kicks and returns several of his own. His teammate is... not slow exactly, but slower than Naruto expects. He's used to Yuurei's blurring speeds and lightning-fast strikes. Sasuke has nothing on Yuurei.

"Why can't you just listen for once?!" Naruto rants as he executes a roundhouse kick that sends Sasuke flying backwards into a tree. "Most of Konoha's shinobi knows the truth now; you're the only idiot who doesn't! Tsunade-baa-chan's just waiting for the right moment to pardon Itachi!"

If anything, this just makes Sasuke even angrier. The Uchiha looks near apoplectic. "Then I'll destroy Konoha as well for siding with my Clan's killer!"

Naruto rolls his eyes. This is really getting old.

It's not that he's unsympathetic about Sasuke's loss, but there are other people out there who have lost more, who are poorer or more heartbroken or lives as nothing more than slaves or a million other things. At least Sasuke has a brother who loves him more than anything in the world and a place to call home and friends who would all go to bat for him. At least Sasuke has had half of a relatively happy childhood; even Naruto's had bouts of depression back in the days when he had little immunity to people spitting at him, and throwing rocks at him, and selling rotten groceries to him or refusing to sell him anything at all, and chasing him all over town with makeshift weapons on his birthday, and wishing he was drowned at birth.

No one's ever wished _Sasuke_ was drowned at birth.

Sasuke is wallowing in _self-pity_.

And Naruto's had enough. He's been able to move on, to look ahead, to find people who care about him and love him just for him; why can't Sasuke, who has always had that if only the idiot would open his eyes and _look_, do the same?

Flicking out several clones, Naruto takes the opportunity to activate Sage Mode, slipping on his chakra blades and taking care to close his eyes as well. Yuurei has put him through his paces when it comes to fighting blind; exactly for the purpose of taking on an Uchiha.

"You think you can fight me blind?!" Sasuke's voice is one big scornful, infuriated sneer. "Don't underestimate me!"

Naruto's _not_ underestimating him though; that's the whole _point_ of closing his eyes, even though it also loses him the advantage of sight. And maybe that would be a problem, somewhere, some-when, if Yuurei hasn't been by his side ever since he was a Genin, always pushing him to be better, stronger, always focused on Naruto and taking him _seriously_, then Naruto may be weaker than he is right now with only Kakashi's admittedly half-assed training and Jiraiya's sometimes distracted guidance under his belt, but Yuurei _has_ been here even if he wasn't _physically_ here all the time, but he _has_ been in every way that matters, every step of the way, polishing his taijutsu, teaching him ninjutsu, giving him advice, making sure he eats, and treating Naruto like Naruto's one of the most important things in his life.

Really, Naruto owes Yuurei a hell of a lot.

He feels Sasuke rushing in from his left, and without hesitation, Naruto ducks under the first swipe of his teammate's sword before lashing out with his own weapons in two rapid punches as he reinforces them with wind chakra.

The first one misses; the second one slams straight into Sasuke's abdomen.

It doesn't deter Sasuke for long, and while Naruto dodges the next few blows, a roundhouse kick snaps one of his ribs and sends him careening into a tree trunk.

He rolls out of the way as Sasuke descends on him with a barrage of kunai (_Are you really trying to kill me, Sasuke?_), and then flip upright again just in time to meet Sasuke's next strike.

"If I have to beat the truth into your head, Sasuke," Naruto growls when Sasuke's next Chidori comes close enough to take off a few strands of his hair. "Then that's what I'm gonna do! All you're doing is making yourself miserable! Do you _want_ to be miserable for the rest of your life?! How the hell would you feel if you actually did manage to kill Itachi, and _then_ find out afterwards that everything I've been saying is true?!"

"Shut up!" Sasuke snarls from somewhere behind him. "You don't know how much I've suffered because of him!"

Naruto doesn't waste breath trying to get through to him. He knows he's promised Yuurei and Jiraiya that he wouldn't use the Hiraishin anymore, but he's had just about enough of Sasuke's whining (_and yeah,_ Naruto thinks dispassionately, _it's whining_), and he's already done it once anyway.

So, waiting for Sasuke to draw as close as possible without actually getting skewered by his teammate's blade, Naruto concentrates hard, flicks a kunai behind him, and flashes away with Hiraishin, appearing again behind a visibly shocked Sasuke and skidding unsteadily through the air before twisting around and slamming a foot down on Sasuke's back, driving the Uchiha into the ground before knocking him out with one blow to the back of his head.

Naruto stills, slipping out of Sage Mode as he digests three things.

One: his second Hiraishin felt a lot smoother than his first.

Two: beating Sasuke was... well, frankly, a lot easier than he expected, almost like he's been training for exactly this for a long time now.

And three:_ God, that felt good_.

Naruto lets out a triumphant whoop, his childish, immature self rearing its head. How's that for the Dead-Last of the Academy?

"Uzumaki-kun," Itachi interjects politely as he appears beside Naruto. "If you could hold him still?"

Naruto blinks when he sees that the elder Uchiha's Sharingan is activated, and not only that; it is also in its Mangekyou stage. "Itachi...?"

"Orochimaru is still... infesting my brother's body," Itachi clarifies. "I can seal him away, along with the Cursed Seal."

Naruto's eyebrows rise. He has been wondering how they are going to deal with Orochimaru. Yuurei's seal will take care of the Cursed Seal, but Orochimaru is a different story.

"You can do that?" Naruto asks inquisitively even as he flips Sasuke around and clamps his hands on his teammate to hold him still. "With your Sharingan? That's so cool!"

Itachi's mouth tilts up into something that could pass for an amused smile before he blinks once as his gaze shifts to an empty patch of grass. "Susa-"

"_Itachi_."

And Yuurei is suddenly there, one hand clamping down on Itachi's shoulder. Itachi almost starts, and a flicker of guilt crosses his face as he turns to Naruto's mentor.

"We talked about this," Yuurei is all but glowering at him. "You are not sacrificing yourself just to kill the snake bastard. Knock it off."

Naruto's eyes widen in horror as he jumps to his feet. "What?! Sacrifice yourself?!"

Yuurei glances at him lips pressed together in a thin line. "Susanoo creates a gigantic, humanoid being that surrounds the user, defending and attacking as necessary. You could say it's the user's guardian deity. As it happens, Itachi's Susanoo also wields the Sword of Totsuka, an enchanted blade capable of sealing anyone it pierces. Problem is, using Susanoo at all immediately begins consuming the user's life as compensation because it eats up chakra like nothing else."

He turns a sharp gaze on Itachi. "You're not using it, idiot. Don't be a martyr; you've been enough of that to last three lifetimes."

Itachi stares unblinkingly back at Yuurei's resolute features for a long minute, almost like he's searching for something, and perhaps he finds it because his Mangekyou eventually fades back to the typical three-tomoe eyes, and the Uchiha dips his head in acquiescence.

Naruto figures he should say something too, because he didn't know the full consequences earlier and he so totally doesn't think it's cool anymore.

So he scowls up at Itachi instead. "I take it back; that is so not cool. Don't even try it again; that's just stupid."

This time, Naruto is sure Itachi smiles, except the amusement is noticeably genuine.

"So what do we do instead?" Naruto asks, scratching his head. "Does your seal...?"

Yuurei sighs, quicksilver thoughts flickering through his eyes as he crouches down beside Sasuke. "No, the seal I gave you doesn't seal people."

Naruto squints at his mentor as he squats down as well. "The seal you _gave_ me? Then... do you have another one that would work?"

Yuurei quirks a faint smile at him. "You're learning. Yes, I do, but it's permanent. It's basically like the one I used on Black Zetsu."

Naruto wracks his brain for a downside to this. "Uh... isn't that a good thing?"

"Hmm," Yuurei's eyes drifts to Sasuke's face, and again, Naruto spots that dark near-hatred on his mentor's face, that same turmoil of emotion that he saw yesterday at lunch.

It scares him because Yuurei almost looks like he wants to finish Sasuke off right then and there.

"Yuurei-san?" Naruto prods cautiously.

Yuurei blinks and the look disappears. "Right, well, I'll get rid of the Cursed Seal and Orochimaru now. Naruto, go lend Kakashi a hand, will you?"

Naruto looks around and finally registers the rising killing intent on the far left, as well as the blue lightning flaring up amongst the trees. Come to think of it, the others are nowhere in sight either; have they _all_ joined the battle?

"The heck is wrong with the guy Kakashi-sensei's facing?" Naruto asks in bewilderment as he adjusts his chakra blades.

"His name's Juugo," Yuurei reveals. "He can't control his temper. He has the ability to constantly absorb natural energy, which makes him fly into a rage at a moment's notice. He once destroyed an entire village. Go subdue him; don't kill him if you don't have to. He's actually a decent guy when he's not mentally unstable."

Naruto winces at the animalistic bellow of fury coming from Juugo's direction but nods warily. "Alright; just knocking him out should do it, right?"

"Yeah," Yuurei nods. "If you can manage to do that. If you can overpower his killing intent, that'll work too."

Naruto is fairly certain that only something terrible like the death of one of his closest friends can make his killing intent match Juugo's.

He glances down one more time before straightening to his full height; even if Yuurei really does dislike Sasuke, his mentor would never kill someone without cause, especially a mere teenager, not to mention Itachi is there as well.

"Oh, and Naruto?"

Naruto cranes his head around. "Yeah?"

Yuurei narrows his eyes at him. "If you use the Hiraishin before I say you're ready even just _one more time_, I will personally tie you up and toss you into the women's baths when Baa-chan and Sakura are in there, understand?"

Naruto sweatdrops and laughs nervously. "Yes, sir."

Yuurei scoffs and waves him away. "Just so we're clear."

Naruto speeds off; he is _not_ running away.

...Though he knows his mentor well enough by now to realize that the threat will be followed through to the letter if he uses Hiraishin again. Yuurei could be sadistic like that.

**LIII.**

"We got Sasuke back."

"Yes, Dickless, you've already said that. Thirty-four times."

Naruto can't help it. He just grins and rests his arms behind his head as they stroll through the forest in the direction of Konoha. It hasn't sunk in until now, but _they got Sasuke back_.

Sakura is hovering beside Sasuke, looking torn between checking him over (again), hugging him (even though he's unconscious), and punching his lights out (which Naruto totally approves, even more so that she's probably holding back until Sasuke' conscious enough to feel the full force of the blow).

Kakashi doesn't outwardly show any signs of relief or happiness, and he's still reading his Icha Icha like it's going out of style, but his shoulders are relaxed in a way that looks like a weight has been lifted from them.

Itachi is the one carrying Sasuke though, a seal – courtesy of Yuurei – binding the younger Uchiha's chakra as he slumps against his brother's back. They've all agreed that it would be best for their captives to remain unconscious until they reach home.

Suigetsu is rather unceremoniously slung over Kisame's shoulder, while Karin, one cheek still bruised (much to Sakura's vindictively smug satisfaction), is being carried by Yamato.

On the other hand, Juugo is walking with them.

Or rather, he's huddled as close as possible to Yuurei's side, with only two feet between them. He probably would've been closer if half the group isn't keeping a close watch on the bipolar shinobi, Hidan actually keeping his scythe drawn as the Jashinist glares death at the poor guy, probably due to the semi-hole that Juugo managed to rip open in the immortal's side eight hours ago. Needless to say, Hidan isn't all that happy.

Either way though, it doesn't change the fact that Juugo is wide awake and jittery.

However, eight hours ago, the same guy almost pummeled half their contingent into the ground until Yuurei had to step in.

Naruto's mentor barred, Jiraiya and Kakashi were the ones who were the most well-equipped out of them in dealing with Juugo; even Naruto was staggered by the overwhelming wave of killing intent that Juugo expelled.

Yet Yuurei stepping in changed the tide of that battle in an instant. Naruto's mentor simply strode right up to the murderous berserker and unleashed his own killing intent, and _that_ alone crippled Naruto in the span of a second.

Yuurei's killing intent was real and hardened and deadly, half-choking most of them even though it wasn't even aimed in their direction, going so far that even Kakashi buckled and only Jiraiya stood firm against it. It did successfully snap Juugo out of his – for lack of better words – temper tantrum though; it was truly mystifying to see a six-foot-something shinobi quail as quickly as Juugo did.

And now, with Yuurei's assurance, the orange-haired shinobi is walking next to Yuurei, silent and wary but content enough to remain non-threatening. Strangely enough, the guy seems most comfortable staying as close as possible to the one person amongst them who can – probably quite easily – kill him.

Juugo's also told them that no, they haven't kidnapped Killer B; the Kumo-nin actually beat them.

The Hachibi Jinchuuriki has already risen in Naruto's eyes for that alone and he hasn't even met the guy.

Still, that leaves the question of _where_ he is if he hasn't been abducted, but at least that's one problem out of the way.

A rustle up ahead draws their attention, and then Sakura hurries forward, looking surprised. "Retsu? Is that you?"

A slug crawls forward to meet them, and Naruto has to muffle a snicker when he catches Hidan drawing back in apprehension; apparently, the immortal doesn't like slugs.

"Yes, Sakura-hime," The slug bobs its head as Sakura bends down to scoop it up. "Tsunade-hime sent me with an important message."

Naruto stiffens at this as they all draw closer.

The slug – Retsu – looks about as worried as a slug can look, which actually isn't that much, but still.

"You are to be careful in any future actions you take," Retsu says plainly, voice serene. "The man known as Shimura Danzou has made his move; his Root faction has taken over the village. All of Konoha is on lockdown, and even the delegation of Kumo-nins has been detained."

Everyone just stares for a long what-the-fuck moment.

"W- What?!" Tenten exclaims. "Danzou's _taken over _the village?"

Retsu nods. "Yes. He has sent several Root out to hunt you down as well."

Another long pause.

"Well shit," Naruto sums up for lack of anything better to say.

"What are our orders?" Kakashi enquires calmly.

"There are no specific orders," Retsu says. "Any rescue missions you launch must be carried out with utmost care."

The slug's tentacles – the one time Naruto called them antennae, Sakura bopped him on the head and corrected him – wave and shift over to Yuurei's direction.

"And any mission you carry out," Retsu finishes. "Is to have Konohagakure's Namikaze Yuurei-sama take point. He is to lead any and all rescue missions carried out."

As one, everyone swings around to look at Yuurei. Yuurei stares back evenly but there's an unnatural rigidity in his stance.

"...It'd probably be better if Kakashi-" Yuurei starts, but Kakashi is already shaking his head.

"Maa, I'm not all that good at re-hijacking an entire village. I'd rather hear one of your plans," Kakashi says cheerfully and eye-smiles his approval.

"Well I'm game for that too," Hidan speaks up, scythe casually resting against one shoulder. "I don't particularly care if this village gets fucked over by some old geezer you all should've killed half a century ago but I don't mind killing him myself."

"If it's the Hokage's orders, then we will youthfully follow them!" Gai proclaims next, shooting Yuurei a thumbs-up. "Besides, your flames of youth have proven to be a force to be reckoned with!"

Jiraiya looks wholly unconcerned, probably because he's been following Yuurei's lead for a while now, and everyone else falls in line like Yuurei has always been their commanding officer.

Naruto beams. One day, he's going to wrangle Yuurei into at least taking up a Jounin rank. It would be fantastic if his mentor's place in Konoha is official.

"Right, well then," Yuurei just sighs, closing his eyes for a moment. "Thank you, I suppose. For trusting me."

For a split second, he almost looks pained, but that vanishes before Naruto can even blink.

Instead, the slightest of smiles, edged with committed determination and a scheming sort of mischief that's shockingly close to what Naruto sees on his own face in the mirror sometimes right before he plays a colossally humilliating prank, graces Yuurei's features.

"Let's go steal back a village."

* * *

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